A video of a visually challenged man trying to board the Divyangjan coach, a coach reserved for persons with disabilities, cancer patients, and pregnant women during the peak hours, has gone viral on social media. The man is seen struggling to board the Mumbai local train as many other passengers board the coach during the peak hours. The video is highlighting the challenges faced by the visually impaired man. The station name is not recorded in the video.
In the video, many female commuters from the adjacent ladies' coach are seen boarding the reserved coach. The man is being pushed and finding it extremely difficult to board the train compartment that is reserved for people with disabilities like him. Mumbai locals are extremely crowded, especially during the peak hours, and many fatal accidents keep happening on the railway lines on a regular basis. This highlights the challenges faced by vulnerable groups who have to deal with crowds even in the spaces that are legally reserved for them.
The Central Railway responded to this video on X. The DRM Mumbai Central Railway (@drmmumbaicr) tagged the Railway Protection Force (RPF) @RPFCRBB and asked them to look into the matter. The RPF replied, "Sir, matter noted and informed to concerned officials for necessary action." The incident highlights gaps in enforcing reserved coach rules, underscores the lack of passenger awareness, and points to the urgent need for improved crowd management to safeguard the safety and dignity of differently-abled passengers.