Elphinstone Road stampede: Ticket checkers asked to report on hawkers blocking rly bridges

Central Railway and BMC also consider declaring 150 metres around railway stations as no-hawking zones

Weeks after the Elphinstone Road stampede, which claimed 23 lives and caused an uproar over illegal hawkers blocking railway bridges, the Central Railway (CR) has asked its ticket checkers (TCs) and commercial staff to report about hawking activities on railway premises. A crackdown on illegal hawkers at stations is likely in the next few days.

Authorities want to stop hawkers selling wares and restricting commuter access to railway bridges. (HT File)

The TCs and commercial staff have been asked to take photographs and inform the control room about illegal hawkers on railway premises. Based on tip-offs from the control room, the Railway Protection Force will dispatch personnel to the spot for immediate action.

Railway authorities and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have also arrived at a consensus to demarcate a 150-metre area outside railway stations as no-hawking zones.

The CR has decided to put together and maintain a database of regular hawkers and profile them, for which the RPF will take photos of hawkers who operate legally at different stations.