Passengers arriving major railway stations in Southern Railway may soon have a pleasant experience dealing with licensed porters.
In a bid to fine-tune the passenger-porter interface, the railways has decided to empower the latter with behavioural skills. Complains of fleecing and rude behaviour will become a thing of the past if the customised training module that the authorities plan to impart goes well among the porters.
According to railway sources, the objective of the programme is to ensure that the porters behave with passengers in a courteous manner, ensure safety of their baggage and charge as per rules for the services rendered. The initiative follows Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu’s announcement in the budget that porters would be called ‘sahayaks’ and imparted training on soft skills. In a circular sent on Thursday, the Railway Board directed that the training programme to porters should be completed by September, 2016. Officials of the Commercial Department have been told to prepare a list of Dos and Don’ts to be displayed in the waiting hall of porters and make sure that they strictly adhered to the guidelines while interacting and delivering their services to passengers.
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“Training has been planned at the division-level and we may consider roping in expertise from external agencies for the programme. A licensed porter greeting passengers at railway stations with a broad smile will enliven the ambience…it is just a feel good factor. Rate cards will be displayed at all platforms to avoid any kind of bargaining,” a railway official said.
Surprise checks
Senior officials would conduct surprise checks to assess the effectiveness of the training and get feedback of passengers, the sources said, and added that a makeover of the traditional red uniform and trolleys to lessen the burden of carrying baggage was in the pipeline.
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They have been asked to walk along with passengers and not run with the baggage.