KOZHIKODE: The Railways has issued an order not to slap fines on minors who violate railway rules in trains or on railway premises. The order came in the wake of the State commission for protection of child rights (KeSCPCR) recommending the same three months ago. According to the new order, erring minors would not be fined but produced before the Juvenile Justice (JJ) board of the district concerned.
KeSCPCR acted on the matter after the media reported that students were slapped fines for boarding superfast trains with season tickets and travelled in reserved compartments. "These violations occured when the train that the students intended to travel on got delayed or unreserved compartments became crammed due to heavy rush. So it cannot be considered as a deliberate attempt on the part of the students to violate railway rules," said KeSCPCR member Adv K. Naseer Chaliyam.
He added that students who wanted to reach class on time were compelled to get into superfast trains when the passenger train was late. "Actually, the railways themselves are primarily responsible for the violation. If the train runs on time, boarding superfast trains without an additional ticket doesn't arise. Also, unreserved coaches get crowded as such coaches are cut short without any prior information," said Dheeraj U.V, a plus-one student who regularly travels on the Kozhikode-Koyilandy railway route.
