THIS IS surely not the way one should begin a journey: Dhani Ram, 60, broke his hand while coming down the staircase to Platform No. 3 at Charbagh Railway Station recently. No, he wasn’t careless. It’s the staircase leading from the foot overbridge to the platform that leaves you with a dread. The steps are at a drop-dead straight angle and scare any traveler.
Dhani Ram’s accident is not the only accident that took place here. “A young boy of seven fell down recently,” recalls a vendor Santosh. A passenger Rupesh adds, “It’s surely the hazardous way the staircase is built.”
Passengers blame the Railways. The step-ends of staircases to Platform Nos. 2 and 3 also do not have any iron welds to prevent skidding. And, if you’re in a rush, God help you!
“Usually, there’s a rush and such careless construction only increases the risk of accidents. What about senior citizens?” says another passenger, Mohinder DRM (NR) R K Gupta told HT Lucknow Live, “It’s a construction problem. We’ve taken precautions where possible. As regards support at the centre of a particular staircase, it may not be possible because of paucity of space. Also, accidents occur when there’s a crowd occupying both sides and there’s a jam.”