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Platform access tough for disabled, elderly at Pune rly stn
The closing down of the British-era foot overbridge (FOB) at the Pune railway station has left the elderly and the disabled to dread taking a train travel
The closing down of the British-era foot overbridge (FOB) at the Pune railway station has left the elderly and the disabled to dread taking a train travel. Though there are other FOBs at the station, the old structure had ramps that helped the elderly and the disabled to reach platforms.
The Pune railway administration closed down the old FOB after an audit found the structure unsafe for public use.
A spot visit on Thursday found the ordeal faced by Anandrao Dhavane, a 78-year-old passenger with weak knees and unable to walk without support, after he reached the station in an autorickshaw to board the Virangana Lakshmibai SF Special Express (01921) scheduled to arrive at platform number 4 at 3.15 pm.
Dhavane had to call a porter, Shankar Pawar, as he was alone and had difficulty to walk through the new FOB bridge (which does not have walking ramps or lift).
“My left leg is swollen and it pains a lot whenever I walk for more than five minutes. The porter brought a wheelchair and took me to the escalator near platform No.1. I managed to stand on the escalator and reach the FOB bridge and I was wheelchaired till the steps that lead to platform No. 4,” said Dhavane.
The journey to the platform started at around 2.15 pm. However, the crowd near the staircases him uneasy. Even Pawar was worried to lift the wheelchair-bound passenger down the staircase as there has been incidents of elderly people falling.
“I was scared to get down the staircase on wheelchair. As I had taken the facility of only one porter, other passengers extended help and the wheelchair was lifted from four sides and brought down the steps of staircase. It is risky to be carried in a wheelchair like this in a populated public space. The railway administration should take up the issue on priority as many elders and disabled travel by train every day. The lack of seriousness by the authorities could only invite accident. The railways should immediately set up ramp, lift or escalator facility at all platforms,” Dhavane said.
Finally, after 30 minutes of using a difficult pathway, Dhavane reached platform number 4 at 2.45 pm and boarded his train coach again with the help of the porter. He paid Pawar ₹200 just to reach his coach on platform No. 4 from the main entrance gate of the railway station.
Manoj Jhawar, spokesperson, Pune railway division, said, “As the old FOB had become dangerous for use, it was closed down. We have forwarded a proposal to build five lifts, one for each platform, to the railway board.
We will start the project after we get the sanction from authorities. Our staff along with the Railway Protection Force personnel help elderly people who arrive at the escalator at the platform number one to walk and board trains wherever necessary.”
Kalpana Marne (72) who had come with her grandchildren to board a Nagpur train also faced similar difficulties.“I came here to board the train much in advance given my situation of pain in both legs. However, despite help from my grandson and a porter, it was not easy to come to platform no 4. Railways need to do something,” said Marne.
