Up until last week, every time 70-year-old K. Parameswaran, a retired government servant, needed to travel, he had to depend on agents or relatives to book his train tickets.
With the reservation counter for senior citizens at Egmore station located on the first floor and no lift, it was difficult for Mr. Parameswaran to access it.
To make it easier for the elderly to book tickets, last Tuesday authorities at the Egmore station shifted the counter from the first to the ground floor.
“It is a blessing for people like me. After my knee surgery, I find it difficult to climb stairs,” said Mr. Parameswaran.
The counter is near the stairs that lead to the first floor. It is open to senior citizens, cancer patients and those with disabilities. “We were told that senior citizens were finding it difficult to climb the stairs. So we shifted the counter,” said a senior railway officer.
“This is a good move by Southern Railway. The authorities should also consider opening a counter for senior citizens at Central station,” said S. Satish Kumar, who often visits the station to book tickets for his parents.
