Dear Friends,
In continuation to our discussion about the handicapped coach, we had one or two months back, I would like to share my horrible experience which I had on 9th July while I was returning from Mumbai to Chennai in the train No.2163 which runs from Dhadhar (Mumbai) to Egmore (Chennai). While I was trying to locate my Berth, I could find it in the So-called SL Coach by Railway, but in fact it was designed for handicapped and it is still running as handicapped coaches in many trains even now. Initially, I sought the help of the Policeman who was on the duty there who showed the so-called SL coach in which many people were already sitting two of them were lying on the upper berths. I and my friend showed the ticket, but the passengers refused to vacate the seats and pleaded that the coach is meant for handicapped and there can be no meaning of reservation. In consequence, again we sought the assistance of the Policeman, he came and showed the chart displayed to the passengers and asked them to sit on the floor of the coach so that the seats can be occupied by the 4 reserved candidates. I mean to say that he clarified as per his law that the seats are for reserved candidates and the handicapped and old people without reservation can travel by sitting on the floor. Now, it is neither reserved coach nor handicapped coach strictly speaking. As my humanism didn't allow to travel individually in the seat, I had to adjust two of the orthopedic candidates with me in the seat for the whole night. Up to Gulbarga, (Karnataka) the coach was full and after that step-by-step, the coach was emptied. But to our surprise, in very many stations, The Railway Police argued that the compartment should be opened to the handicapped persons but in the chart it was mentioned that only 4 persons are permitted. It was a real mockery on that day. Friends, in the four seats, two were reserved in handicapped quota and the other two were reserved on the medical quota. Now, my doubt is whether the handicapped coach is available in the long distance trains or not or the Railway wants to run as handicapped compartment in the short distance trains and in the long distance trains as reserved coach in handicapped quota. Please express your opinion in this regard and be careful in future if your ticket is reserved in handicapped quota and is allotted in SL coach. With regards. Parthiban M. To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
