Platform Nos. 1, 2 sans lifts, ramps

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 22

Passengers, including persons with disabilities (PwDs) and elderly, face a lot of tough time in the absence of any lift and ramp on platform Nos. 1 and 2 at the city railway station.

Passengers continue to face problems as they have to walk across a 110m ramp and use stairs to reach other platforms.

Notably, lifts have been installed at the railway station, but passengers, including PwDs and elderly, have to reach platform Nos. 1 and 2 using the stairs.

While elderly can be seen limping their way on the stairs to reach these platforms, PwDs are mostly given shoulder support or have to be carried by their family members.

There was a proposal to install an escalator and lift on both sides of the footoverbridge, but lifts have been installed for the convenience of passengers who want to use platform Nos. 3 to 6.

Other passengers said it was difficult for them to reach platforms as they had to use the stairs with luggage.

Besides, there is no ramp to reach different platforms.

Gurmail Singh, a person with disabilities, who travels to Ludhiana for treatment of his leg every fortnight, said, “As I cannot climb or get down from stairs, every time, my son picks me up to reach the platform. If the authorities have installed lifts at other platforms, they could have provided the facility on all platforms so that passengers like me do not have to face any problem.”

Rajan Verma, a passenger, “It is really difficult to climb the stairs after walking across the 110m ramp. I somehow manage to climb the stairs, but what about persons with disability and elderly. The number of passengers at one of the busiest railway junctions in the region has increased manifold. It is high time for the authorities to install lifts and escalators on all platforms of the railway station.”

The Station Superintendent said he would bring the matter to the notice of senior officials at the division office.