RPF personnel interacting with women passengers on safety issues

MADURAI

The Railway Protection Force is on a campaign on women’s safety during the Women Passenger Safety fortnight, which began on Monday.

RPF personnel have been interacting with women passengers on safety issues on trains and railway premises. They are also distributing pamphlets on common crimes and promoting RPF helpline number 182 to get timely help.

Assistant Divisional Security Commissioner K. Rajaiah, in the presence of Madurai Railway Station Director Boya Raghavendra Kumar, held interactions with women passengers at Madurai railway junction on Monday.

Mr. Rajaiah gave safety tips to women passengers, which included not accepting eatables from strangers and securing their gold ornaments and other valuables while travelling. He also wanted them to alert the RPF if they found unclaimed and suspicious objects and bags on trains or on railway station premises.

He said the RPF had been escorting all night-running trains with armed guards to ensure safety of all passengers, especially women. Besides installing CCTV cameras at major stations, the RPF personnel were patrolling at all wayside stations for increased vigil.

Continuous drive against men travelling in ladies’ coaches led to the arrest of 462 men, he added. However, no case of harassment of women passengers had been registered.

The RPF also rescued 70 runaway children, including seven girls, found on trains and railway premises, and handed them over to their parents or Child Welfare Committee.

A skit by RPF constables on various types of crimes on trains was played on the occasion. Stickers on safety and helpline numbers were pasted in railway coaches.