The Hindu : Porters continue to fleece passengers at Central

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 23, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Porters continue to fleece passengers at Central

By Saptarshi Bhattacharya

CHENNAI MARCH 22. Porters and trolleys, both meant to serve the passenger, have a critical role in the Chennai Central railway station. But both come at a premium.

While porters are often found overcharging, the self-service trolleys, which are available free of cost, are yet to offer an effective alternative.

The station, which handles nearly 100 trains and about 1.5 lakh passengers everyday, is yet to find a solution to the problem of overcharging by the porters. Though a protocol for the licensed porters is in place, it is not being followed. Officially, the Southern Railway authorities had fixed the rate for the porters at Rs.15 for a head load of up to 40 kg and Rs.37 for a trolley load up to 120 kg.

However, the passengers often end up shelling out at least four times the official rates.

The porters argue that the official rates were too low and would not be sufficient given the present day prices. "It is a shared capital among the hundreds of porters here. If we have about five or six passengers a day, it is a good harvest," said Velu, a young licensed porter at the Chennai Central station. He charges Rs.80-100 for a head load depending on the weight and distance to be covered.

Acknowledging that complaints of excess charging by the porters was rampant, a station official said it was a social problem and the officials were finding ways to deal with the issue. "The official rates have been displayed in 18 locations within the stations. We are also planning to increase the frequency of advertising the rates through the giant display screen. Glow sign boxes are also being thought of." If a porter was found overcharging, the passenger could note down his licence number and report to the Platform Inspector or the Passenger Care Centre. "It is more of an attitudinal problem and we are trying to bring in a behavioural change among the porters," the official said.

The free trolley service, started a couple of years ago by the railway authorities, has not provided an effective alternative for the passengers. Many of the 40-odd trolleys are under repair. A proposal to privatise the trolley service was derailed at the planning stages when the porters' union obtained a court stay order. Based on specific complaints, the porters, who overcharge, are usually suspended. But this has not put an end to the malpractice at the station.

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Porters continue to fleece passengers at Central