Mission Mumbai Local - Report on Deaths Out ; Time for Action

• ·         Every day, ten people die on Central Railway tracks and another ten get seriously injured.
• ·         Its mainly because people do not want to miss trains and also they are not sure about the next train coming in time
• ·         21 year old Bhavesh Nakate died after losing grip from a speeding local – and the bvideo went viral –
• ·         Rly Minister Suresh Prabhu asks CR and WR to appoint committees to study.
• ·         CR comes out with “Report on Review of Rising trend of accidental deaths in Mumbai suburban system”.
• ·         Report on CR website for about six months now. Suggests Rs 20,000 crore makeover plan including:
• ·         Purchase of 150 new trains
• ·         Door closures and A/C trains
• ·         Additional platforms and stabling lines (parking for trains)
• ·         Disaster management plan
• ·         ROBs, fencing of tracks and so on
• ·         Committee discusses at length on the lack of parking places for trains which creates congestion (drag) on the system and leads to delays in train running.
• ·         Committee suggests ways to increase frequency of trains at two minute intervals by providing for loops, stabling lines etc.,
• ·         Underground loop at CSR and stabling lines at Thane, Kalyan and Panvel discussed.
• ·         Thane, KDMC and BMC commissioners were also on the committee and signed the report.
• ·         Also MPs – Kirit Somaiya, Arvind Sawant, Poonam Mahajan, Rajan Vichare – are signatories to the report, apart from couple NGOs.
• ·         Question is who is doing what to improve CR local services?
• ·         Is nobody bothered about people dying and getting seriously injured?
• ·         Do we believe in only cosmetic work like beautifying stations?
• ·         What is beauty without safety and punctuality?
• ·         PRCI – the national body of PR, media and advertising professionals – has launched communication drive as its contribution towards the Mumbai’s lifeline.
• ·         PRCI also launched a social media campaign and is engaging journalism students to spread the good word.