Mumbai railway passengers propose 'Pink Platforms' for safer, easier boarding by women

Imagine walking onto a railway platform and instantly knowing exactly where the ladies coach will stop with a clearly marked space reserved for women to wait safely and comfortably Thats the idea behind the Pink Platform concept proposed by the Mumbai Rail Pravasi SanghAn informal proposal suggested by passenger associations to create Pink Platforms mdash designated waiting zones for women at suburban railway stations mdash was discussed at the first Suburban Railway Users Consultative Committee SRUCC meeting held at Central Railway headquarters in Mumbai CSMT on July 24The proposal suggests painting the section of platforms where ladies coaches halt in pink creating clearly marked waiting areas for women commuters The organisation says the idea could make boarding more orderly improve safety and help firsttime commuters identify ladies coaches more easily Railway officials however pointed out that differences in train configurations could make implementation challenging and said the proposal would need a detailed feasibility study before any decision is takenWhat is a Pink Platformgtgt Painting the platform area where ladiesrsquo coaches stop in pinkgtgt Creating dedicated waiting zones for womengtgt Helping commuters locate ladiesrsquo coaches quicklygtgt Supporting easier deployment of security personnelgtgt Improving surveillance through focused CCTV coverageRailwaysrsquo responseOn Pink PlatformsRailway officials said the proposal could be examined through a pilot feasibility studyOn implementationA senior railway official said ldquoWhile the idea is good practically it will be difficult to implement as ladiesrsquo coaches are spread across the train There are 12car 15car and AC locals all of which have different coach configurations It is an idea that needs to be studied carefully before any public userdquoAnother proposal Redesign ladiesrsquo coachesThe commuter body also urged redesigning ladiesrsquo coaches using ergonomic standards for Indian womenSiddhesh Desai vicepresident Mumbai Rail Pravasi SanghldquoA ladiesrsquo coach should be designed for women not simply reserved for women Studies have highlighted that grab handles luggage racks and other fittings are positioned too high making them difficult to userdquoOfficial SpeakSiddhesh Desai vicepresident Mumbai Rail Pravasi SanghldquoAmong the many proposals discussed an important commutercentric idea was the rationalisation of Ladies and Divyang coaches which proposed studying the feasibility of grouping all Ladies and Divyang coaches together with a dedicated lsquoPink Platformrsquo boarding zone The Pink Platform concept will help commuters visually distinguish between compartments Such an arrangement could facilitate better deployment of the Railway Protection Force and Government Railway Police improve CCTV monitoring enhance emergency response and provide greater safety and conveniencerdquoVoicesLata Argade Mumbai Suburban Railway Passengersrsquo FederationldquoThis is a very good and wellthoughtout proposal It has the potential to significantly improve passenger safety while also making travel more convenient and comfortable for women commutersrdquoIsha Khatu commuterldquoIt is a great initiative but Irsquom not sure how practical it is because 12car 15car and AC trains have different coach positions But it will be useful for women who are new to the cityrdquoVandana Sonawane commuterldquoIt is a good proposal but the Railways must ensure police presence inside ladiesrsquo compartments continuesrdquo