Railways intensifies drive against hawkers, activists say persistent action required

Mumbai: The railways has intensified its drive against illegal hawkers on its property which includes platforms, FOBs and subways but activists said that the railways needs to be persistent in its efforts. One of the primary and immediate solutions suggested in the multi-disciplinary audit reports submitted by Central and Western Railway has been the removal of hawkers from all railway properties as this will hopefully provide more space for the commuters to move around in peak-hours.

The audit report has made additional suggestions such as removal of Suvidha benches, pyaus and putting up cover-over-platforms to reduce crowd on stations, especially during the monsoon. The issue of hawkers encroachment took an ugly turn on Saturday after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers attacked the vendors outside railway stations of Kalyan, Thane and Dombivli.

Although none of the hawkers who were attacked by the MNS workers were on railway premises, activist Nirmal Tekamgarh has said that the railways need to be persistent in its efforts to make railways a hawker free-zone. He said, “This is really a good job by the railways, and we should commend them for their action, but again they shouldn’t have waited for the Elphinstone tragedy to take the hawker issue seriously.” He also added, “The RPF and the civic authorities will have to keep the pressure on the hawkers in order to make them feel that they are serious about getting them off the railway property.”