New Additional General of police's advice that women should board the general compartment rather than travelling alone in ladies' bogey has garnered mixed reactions

IN a bid to make travelling on local trains a safer proposition for women, the new additional director general of police (ADGP) of the GRP has advised them to travel in the general compartment if the ladies' compartment is empty.


The ADGP advice comes in the wake of increasing cases of women being assaulted in local trains especially at night

ADGP Shrikant Savarkar feels that women will be better off travelling in the company of men rather than travelling alone in the ladies' bogeys.

The ladies' compartments are usually empty post 10.30 pm.

"In case the female commuters feel scared of travelling alone in the ladies' compartment, they should board the general compartment. This will keep them safe from thefts and misbehaviour.
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I want all female passengers to feel safe while travelling on the suburban railway network," said Savarkar.

Nearly 15 lakh women use the suburban railway network every day and cases of women being assaulted on trains (see box) are on the rise.
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Most women MiD DAY spoke to said they feel unsafe while travelling on local trains, especially in the night.

Savarkar said that the GRP does depute security personnel in local trains, but commuters will be safer if they are more alert and are willing to help fellow passengers.

"It is not possible for us to post constables in each and every coach of the trains. This does not mean, however, that we are trying to shrug off our responsibilities. All I'm saying is that commuters will be safer if they are alert," he said.

According to the rules, the ladies' compartments of every train must have a GRP constable after 8.30 pm.

The total strength of the GRP is 1,800 and nearly 200 constables out of these are deputed for night duty between 8.30 pm and 6.30 am for the 600 services that are run during this period.

Cases
April 11, 2011: Arunima Sinha (23), a national-level volleyball player, was thrown off a moving train during a scuffle with hoodlums who were trying to snatch her gold chain. Sinha's left leg was run over by another train and had to be amputated. The incident took place in Bareilly, UP.