Mumbaiites, you might lose access to free WiFi at suburban stations

The free WiFi service at the city’s railway stations is being misused, said an audit report prepared by the Western Railway (WR).

The free WiFi service at the city’s railway stations is being misused, said an audit report prepared by the Western Railway (WR).

The audit report by WR suggests that free WiFi should be made available only at waiting rooms or halls at railway stations (Picture for representation)

The report states that people who don’t use the train services stand at the entry and exit points of stations to use the facility, blocking the already overcrowded area for commuters.

Free WiFi can be made available only at waiting rooms and near booking counters within the station premises. This means that the facility will be available only at booking counters in suburban stations.

Read: Free WiFi at Mumbai railway stations being used to watch porn videos

Also, the service should not be available on foot overbridges and should be stopped at night, the report suggests.

The audit of all railway stations was ordered after the Elphinstone Road station stampede, in which 23 commuters died. The audit aims to identify problems, especially those related to safety, and recommend corrective measure. The committee specifically looked at various elements that affect the flow of commuters, on foot overbridges, platforms and at the entry/exit points.

The report has been submitted to the railway board, which will send it to the railway ministry after discussions. The ministry will take the final call on where to provide the service.