NW18 PIL Before Bombay High Court Seeks Separate Coach For Senior Citizen in Mumbai Local Trains

K.P Purushottaman Nair, a lawyer and a Former Senior Secretary to a High Court Judge has moved before the Bombay High Court seeking directions to be issued to the Ministry of Railways and Union of India to consider embarking a separate coach for senior citizens in the Mumbai Local Trains.

The Public Interest Litigation has been filed through MZ & Associates.

The petitioner has submitted to the High Court to make available a separate compartment for senior citizens, similar to the one provided for the physically handicapped persons in the middle portion of the rake or at any place in suburban railway trains run by both the Central and Western Railways.

Nair has also pointed out that in Suo Moto PIL which the Bombay High Court had registered in 2009 after a letter was written to the Chief Justice by Mr. AB Thakkar, which was of similar grievance. The High Court had directed the Railways to provide 14 seats for Senior Citizens in the Second-Class Compartment.

The plea states that the petitioner has made representations before the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court 2019 for a small compartment for senior citizens. However, the public grievance cell of the High Court forwarded the same to the Railways Department. The Railway Department in January 2020 wrote to Nair stating that it is not justified to further earmark a separate bogie only for senior citizens. Aggrieved by the letter, Nair moved before the Bombay High Court.

The petitioner has also submitted that approximately 50,000 senior citizens travel daily in the local trains, and it is difficult to even for the younger persons to enter the trains during peak hours.

Nair, in his petition, stated that he has been regularly traveling from Bandra to Churchgate for 35 years and prefers to travel in the compartment where seats are reserved for senior citizens. The plea reads

“The senior citizens travelling along with the Petitioner have always raised grievances about the way in which seats have been earmarked for senior citizens in the crowded second-class compartment as these senior citizens find it difficult and/or are unable to board the train due to heavy rush. The same situation is faced by senior citizens at the time of alighting from the traint as well”

Case Title: K.P Puroshathaman vs UOI & Ors.