TTEs Raise Safety Concerns After One Pushed to Death in Kerala

 Hyderabad: The Travelling Ticket Examiners (TTEs) of the South Central Railway raised concerns over their safety and security during their duties aboard trains.

After a horrifying incident on Tuesday night in Ernakulam — Patna Train, where a TTE was pushed to death from a running train by a passenger in Thrissur — several commercial staff, including TTEs, travel ticket inspectors and chief ticket inspectors told Deccan Chronicle that they frequently face such situations on board.

David Boon Masihcharan, a TTI from Hyderabad division says: “Travellers provoke us so that we go lodge a complaint. There are passengers who travel without a proper ticket and on checking, they get agitated. There are a few trains in which we regularly face these types of passengers.”

He added, “When such a situation arises, they have supporters who travel in groups and start attacking us. We do not get enough protection at that time. The RPF can support us only at stations. In a moving train, we have no protection.”

Abdul Rawoof, a chief ticketing inspector at Secunderabad division says: “Each and every TTE faces such situations. In my 33 years of service, I have encountered many situations, where the travellers either threaten me, or they will try to get me removed from the job. Some are polite in looks but others are violent in behaviour. There are some others who are drunk and not sensible. The other passengers either blame us or remain silent. We are here to do our duty. We too have our families.”

He added, “this unfortunate incident that took place in Kerala, is an eye opener to the authorities, to look into the plight of the TTE’s, before any more such incidents take place, we should get some protection.”