Meanwhile, multi-agency teams, formed by Central Railway and Western Railway, began inspections on Tuesday, and managed to visit around 20 railway stations
While there has been no qualitative change in passenger facilities at railway stations in Mumbai since the tragic stampede on a Foot-Over-Bridge (FOB) at Elphinstone Road station on September 29, announcements continue on new measures that will provide Mumbaikars a safer and more comfortable commute.
Even as commuters continue to jostle for space on narrow FOBs at both Parel and Elphinstone Road stations, inspections have begun at stations.
Committees are also being set up by the government. On Tuesday, the Maharashtra Cabinet offered condolences for the 23 lives lost in the stampede and decided to set up a sub-committee to ensure co-ordination between multiple agencies and departments for passenger facilities.
A delegation of Shiv Sena ministers met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis just before the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning. State environment minister Ramdas Kadam told media persons that Chief Minister Fadnavis had accepted all the demands of the delegation and had assured that the Cabinet sub-committee would be set up in two days and the names of its members would also be announced then.
Kadam said there is a need to increase the width of all the FOBs in Mumbai. He said that the sub-committee would also ensure that all the bridges are hawker free.
Meanwhile, multi-agency teams, formed by Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR), began inspections on Tuesday, and managed to visit around 20 railway stations. Officials said the teams will not be able to visit all 122 suburban railway stations.
WR has prepared five teams of seven members each, which visited the following stations – Marine Lines, Elphinstone Road, Vile Parle, Andheri, Goregaon, Palghar, among others – on the first day of inspections. CR has formed nine teams of seven members each, which inspected Thane, Dombivli, Diva and a few others.
The teams comprise members from the Railways, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, Government Railway Police and the city police. A total of 36 stations on the WR and 86 stations on CR need to be covered.
These teams have been tasked with inspecting all aspects of a railway station — right from a broken tile to the narrow width of a FOB, improperly placed roof, leakage from a pipe, excessive food stalls or anything that is hanging precariously. They are also meant to check entry and exit points, ticket counters, pathways and connectivity outside the station.
The teams are also talking to commuters for feedback. "These details across various railway stations will then be compiled and made into a single report that needs to be prepared by October 8," says Ravindra Bhakar, Chief PRO, WR.
The final report is to be submitted within seven to 10 days to the Railway Board in Delhi, and will then be put up before Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.
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