Stampede in Mumbai

Friday’s tragedy at the Elphinstone Road railway station stairs in central Mumbai which resulted in the deaths of 22 people and injured nearly 40 in a gruesome fashion is just another reminder that our infrastructure is in poor shape and clearly out of tune with the requirements of a growing population.

It is de rigueur to say that this was a disaster waiting to happen, the guilty should be punished and safety given priority. A few politicians immediately used the occasion to score a couple of debating points on whether the Government was getting its priorities right in going for a bullet train when such basics as commuter safety still need to be addressed. These are all pro forma statements dished out in an almost automatic fashion every time there is an accident.

Forget the politics. Here are some suggestions that don’t require ‘all party-consensus’, ‘bipartisanship’ or legislative approval. These are administrative measures that can be taken immediately by the new railway minister to address the issue of commuter safety.

1. Have access control at the entry and exit point of all railway stations. Today, all manner of people — ticketless travellers jostle with fare-paying consumers — increasing the already super-dense crush load on Mumbai trains. Even at other stations around the country, it is not hard to find a number of idlers enjoying the comfort of a cool nap or whiling time at stations or inside the trains themselves. Only those who are travelling with a ticket or a pass ought to be allowed inside stations.

Given the security threats faced by the nation, this needs to be done promptly. Railway stations have to stop being used as dharamshalas. Access control has already worked successfully in metro stations. So why can’t it be enforced in regular suburban stations that cover a larger segment of the population?

2.Lengthen the platforms on an emergency basis at least at a couple of stations (important ones, where the fast locals stop) to accommodate 20 coaches. Mumbai’s suburban trains typically have 9 or 12 rakes, and 15 rakes occasionally.

The rated carrying capacity of a rake on the suburban train network in Mumbai is 200 people whereas the actual number is closer to 500 or more per compartment during peak hours. It is time to increase capacity especially at peak hours — or we will see many more such disasters. A train needs to be late by just a few minutes to lead to a frightening swelling of crowds on the platform. And the scramble to get into a compartment when a delayed and packed train arrives at a crowded platform can put animals to shame. Two thousand people die every year falling off such trains. Many more get injured.

3. Introduce some coaches with only standing room. Remove the seats. This is the only practical solution to increase capacity for commuters on an emergency basis. Sure, there may be some protests but eventually people will understand. And those who want seats will gravitate to other compartments. Most people who use the suburban network want to get from one point to another quickly and safely. They will accept the discomfort of standing with a bit more breathing space if it means they can be safe.

4. Raise ticket fares immediately. And dramatically. There will be protests of course — but that’s expected even if the fares are raised by 2 per cent. A second class one-way fare from Churchgate to Virar — an over-50 km commute — costs just ₹20. A cab for that distance would cost a minimum of ₹600.

While it is true that there is a difference in comfort levels, there is a limit to the level of subsidy that the Government should bear. Monthly passes in any case offer a huge concession. If the bitter pill of a steep hike in fares needs to be made palatable to the masses, offer some ‘happy hours’ concession during non-peak hours.

Get cracking on these things for now. The enquiry commissions and other committees can throw up more ideas later.