Two weeks after the death five pilgrims from Coimbatore, on board Kerala Express near Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, there seems to be very few steps taken regarding issuance of travel advisories to passengers regarding their health.
“This issue does not come under the purview of railways,” said a railway official when asked about issuing health precautions to passengers.
Referring to the Jhansi incident, the official said that there was no major “procedural lapse” as far as the railways is concerned, adding that the passengers must take adequate precautions in such instances.
Another railway official said that the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation provides safety precautions for tourists who travel using its tourism packages. However, health advisories are generally issued for trains only in the cases of natural disasters such as floods and cyclones, the official said.
Regarding bus services, an official from the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) said the Transport Department has not received any instructions from the Health Department. Sufficient ventilation has been ensured in all the buses that are currently running, the official said, adding that no complaints have been received by TNSTC yet.
Elderly people do not prefer to travel long distances in buses, according to V. Duraikannan, president of Coimbatore District Bus Owners Association. “Only college students and young couples use buses [for tours],” he said. In the last decade, the operators have started using trains and flights for their tourism packages as the ticket fares were reduced, leading to a fall in demand for long distance tours in buses, he said.
K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause, said that neither the railways nor the transport department has any mandatory provisions to issue health advisories. If issued unnecessarily, such advisories might create panic among people and in turn, might affect tourism. “There is no harm in the government issuing such advisories. It should be issued in such a way that it does not cause anxiety among passengers,” Mr. Kathirmathiyon said. The State government might also install air-conditioners in buses being operated in regions where temperatures run high, he said, adding that the public must take measures such as staying sufficiently hydrated and carrying umbrellas.
