Counselling to try and change women rail passenger mindset

Chennai: A group of women squatting in the passage of the entrance to the railway coach is a regular scene that unfolds each day in the ladies’ compartment on suburban lines. Though it is a regular feature, it is also irksome. Unusual because, despite the availability of seats, these ladies prefer travelling by sitting on the floor, not paying heed to the major inconvenience they are causing others entering or exiting the train.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF), which had been considering various options to get rid of this menace, has so far achieved no results, forcing the cops to resort to counselling as the newest approach.

The only approach used by RPF personnel posted in the ladies compartments was to force the women to vacate the space on the floor. That worked only when there was a RPF presence on board. Often the lack of space and the crowding on the trains results in frequent squabbles between those squatting and those in dire need of space to just stand.

“We get frequent complaints and this is becoming a menace, but I have no idea how to ensure that women don’t sit on the floor and travel,” a senior divisional RPF official had told Deccan Chronicle a few days ago.

Earlier this week, based on frequent complaints, a counselling session for female travellers was held at Moore Market Complex (MMC) station in which senior RPF officials spoke to female passengers and advised them against sitting at the entrance of the coaches.

“We spoke to ladies telling them how inconvenient this habit is for others on the train, especially during rush hours. One common point they stated was the habit of sitting on the floor in their homes,” said an RPF senior official. He added that these habits are ingrained in the women, which makes them more comfortable squatting on the floor and travelling than occupying vacant seats.