BENGALURU: In order to ensure the safety of women rail travellers, the Bengaluru unit of the RPF (Railway Protection Force) on Tuesday extended its safety programme from the earlier three to 10 passenger trains.
The Railway Board had last week called upon all Railway Divisions across the country to be proactive in offering security to women by launching a 'Meri Saheli’ initiative.
Senior Divisional Security Commissioner, RPF Bengaluru, Debashmita Chattopadhyay Banerjee said, “We have found through a careful assessment of crimes that single women, elderly women with or without caregivers and women with children are the most vulnerable on trains and railway stations. It is this section that miscreants target and even conduct recce when they spot the vulnerable section. We identify the coaches they are seated in advance with the help of the commercial department staff and ensure particular attention to them,” she said.
The Bengaluru unit was the first in the country to specifically focus on the safety of women through a pilot project in Rani Chennamma Express (Bengaluru to Miraj) a year ago. “On Rani Chennamma, we offered security to Hubballi where the South Western Railway Division ends. The sense of security experienced by women passengers and the response was overwhelming. It made us extend our project to Udyan Express (Bangalore to Mumbai) as well as Sanghamitra Express (Bengaluru to Bihar). Our statistics showed that crimes against women decreased by 40% on the trains due to our team’s sustained efforts,” the top cop said.
The Bengaluru Division is helped by three women Sub-Inspectors who joined the force recently. “The three SIs and a 20-strong force of women cops will be deployed in the operation."
They will be on platform duty across stations and meet the women passengers personally on trains. They will be provided with berths on the trains in advance.
Apart from cautioning them about the tricks of miscreants, they will ensure that the passengers have the contact numbers of the RPF escort team on their specific train and brief them on the toll-free helpline (182) for emergencies,” Banerjee said.
Apart from the three trains mentioned above, the RPF has brought seven other trains under its special safety net under 'Meri Saheli’. They are KSR Bengaluru-Danapur Express, Bengaluru-Chennai Double Decker Express, Karnataka-Express, and Rajdhani Express (both Delhi trains), KSR-Belagavi-KSR Express, Yesvantpur-Nizammudib Express and the Yesvantpur- Shivamogga Express.
'Operation Shakti’ teams were launched in Bengaluru, Hubballi, and Mysuru Divisions in May 2018.