In a survey participated in by more than 45,000 citizens, it was found that safety has become a significant concern for a majority of them after the recent disheartening derailments.
The poll, conducted by citizen engagement platform LocalCircles, showed that for 44 per citizens, there has been no improvement in safety and security in the last three years while 43 per cent believe that there has been some improvement.
To reduce accidents, they suggested that anti-collision devices be installed in all trains and budgets for buying track testing equipment should be increased.
They pointed out that many coaches are as old as 30 years and should be retired and replaced with modern steel or aluminium ones. They also said that baggage limitations should be put in place for each passenger and all unmanned crossings should be made automatic with the help of sensors.
On Tuesday morning, nine coaches and the engine of Nagpur-Mumbai Duronto Express derailed between Vasind and Asangaon stations in Maharashtra following a sudden landslide.
On August 19, 14 coaches of the Kalinga Utkal Express derailed in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district, in which 22 people died and over 100 people were injured.
On August 23, over 100 passengers were injured when 14 coaches of the Kaifiyat Express train derailed in Auraiya district in Uttar Pradesh after hitting a dumper.
On August 25, four coaches of the Andheri-bound local train derailed near Mahim in Mumbai, injuring six passengers.
People have also been quite unhappy with the increase in railway fares and have felt their pockets pinch.
The move of introducing flexi-fare did not gain much popularity with the citizens as it increased the ticket price of trains like Shatabdi and Rajdhani quite steeply. Seventy-three per cent citizens in a previous poll had explicitly stated that they would rather have flat fare increase than the current flexi-fare system.
In another poll, people were asked if cleanliness of trains and railway stations has improved. 31 per cent said the improvement was sizable, 46 per cent said it was marginal, 17 per cent said there has been no improvement and 6 per cent said it had gotten worse.
Respondents suggested the railways automate the cleaning process whereever possible. They also said that the cleaning staff should be well-supervised and food vendors on platforms should be trained on hygiene and safety practices. More dustbins should also be installed inside trains and at stations.
--IANS
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