Electric cars to ferry disabled at city railway station

Electric cars to ferry disabled at city railway station
Vijay Times

Physically challenged rail passengers, and the sick and elderly, will soon be able to traverse across platforms at the City Railway Station with ease.

South Western Railway (SWR) plans to introduce two electric cars to ferry them. The round-the-clock service will start on October 2 if all goes well.

The project, a brain-child of S Gagarin, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, SWR, involves driving the electric cars on the existing trolley path on which over 10 wheelchairs are used.

The trolley path connects platform one with platforms six and seven. Which means people coming to the railway station from either the Majestic side or the Okalipuram side can get the benefit of the electric cars, if required by calling a tollfree number which is yet to be decided.

SWR officials told VViij ja ayy TTiimmeess on Thursday that the electric cars would be similar to the two-seater Reva or the golf carts of the kind US President George W Bush uses.

The car would be ‘chauffeur driven’, allowing only one passenger. But officials said that it would be much faster and more convenient than a wheelchair. Moreover, there would be a provision to carry the accompanying luggage too.

Said Gagarin: “We are discussing the project with potential donors to raise funds. The project will be inaugurated in the first or second week of October.” He said if the service was well received, more cars/golf carts would be added.

The SWR will not be spending any money on the project as it will be fully funded by donors/sponsors. Details about the maintenance of the vehicles are also to be worked out.

Officials are planning to offer the vehicles for advertisements, the revenue from which will be channelised towards their maintenance. Illustration: Prakash S