WR scouts for bouncers to manage AC train commuters

Mumbai: If you thought only bars and pubs had bouncers, then think again. You may soon see them stalking railway platforms as well. Anticipating chaos and unruly behaviour, Western Railways is planning to hire bouncers to supervise commuters scrambling to get into the Air-Conditioning (AC) local, expected to hit the tracks by the end of the year. The bouncers would be shepherding and controlling passengers. Rail authorities are likely to issue a tender soon to hire a firm that can provide bouncers.

Officials fear some commuters could refuse to alight from the AC train during peak-hours and stand on the footboard, thus neutralising the effect of the AC-unit.

It is also likely the train will continue to move as compartment doors will not be fully automated.

Bouncers are being looked at to deal with this possibility. An official said, “To give you an example, an average 12 coach train can ferry 3,504 passengers during one journey, but it actually ends up carrying 5,300. If this happens in the AC train as well, we will need to exercise some form of crowd-control. The bouncers will help us asking those standing on the footboard to get off the train.”

The bouncers will be hired from reputable security companies. While male bouncers will handle crowds in general compartments, their female counterparts will do the needful for the ladies compartment. “Since it will be outsourced, we don’t think it will be a problem in finding female bouncers,” said the official.

Since the train is targeted to be operational by this November, the option of hiring bouncers is being explored. The AC train itself has been undergoing trials since the end of May, when it was handed over by the Central Railway (CR) to the WR.

With the number of services to be limited to one in every-two hours initially, activists feel that it would be unfair to those who would be asked to get off by the bouncers. Nirmal Tikamgarh activist and ex-Divisional Railway User Consultative Committee (DRUCC) member, felt the railways cannot stop anyone from boarding a train for whose service they have paid for, and that too when missing a train might mean that they will have to wait for another two-hours.

To avoid such a situation, railway should initially issue a limited number of passes and tickets for the AC train on a first-come-first-serve basis, he said. “Otherwise, it would mean that they are taking a money for a service that may be stopped by bouncers.”