New Delhi: In the past, Indian Railways had assured that lower berths in trains would be allotted on a priority basis to the elderly, women and the physically challenged. However, passengers have repeatedly complained that senior citizens and women above the age of 45 were made to climb on to middle or upper berths during their journeys.
Will things change, now that railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has stepped in and announced a tweak in the Passenger Reservation System (PRS) to allot berths to such categories of passengers?
Addressing the Parliament on Wednesday, Vaishnaw said that provisions have now been made to allot lower berths to senior citizens, women above 45 and pregnant women, even if they do not specifically make a request for them while booking their tickets. A certain number of lower berths will be reserved in each coach for these categories, the railways has announced.
The trouble is that nearly everybody wants a lower berth on a long-distance train. While booking tickets, everybody applies for one and by the time it is the turn of a senior citizen, middle-aged or pregnant woman, the number of lower berths runs out.
While every Sleeper Class coach will now have 6-7 lower berths reserved for senior citizens, middle-aged and pregnant women, they will get 4-5 berths in AC Three Tier ones. AC Two Tier coaches will have 3-4 coaches reserved for them.
In case the allotted berths run out before a reservation is made, TTEs have been directed to assign lower berths to these categories of passengers, whenever they get vacated during the journey. The Railway Board has made it clear that strict action will be taken against staff if they fail to comply with these directions.
“For the physically challenged, we already have a certain number of berths reserved per coach. Four berths, including two lower ones, are reserved for them in Sleeper Class coaches. In Third AC coaches, there are four berths (including two lower ones) for them. In short distance trains, there are four seats both in the 2S and CC classes reserved for them. TTEs have now also been told to allot lower berths, whenever available, to such passengers,” an official said.