FACILITIES EXTENDED TO SENIOR CITIZENS

 FACILITIES EXTENDED TO SENIOR CITIZENS

The following facilities have been extended from time to time to Senior citizens:

(i) In the computerized Passenger-Reservation System (PRS) there is a provision to allot lower berths to Senior Citizens, Female passengers of 45 years and above automatically, even if no  choice is given, subject to availability of accommodation at the time of booking,

(ii) A combined quota of six to seven lower berths per coach in Sleeper class, four to five lower berths per coach each in Air Conditioned 3 tier (3AC) and three to four lower berths per coach in Air Conditioned 2 tier (2AC) classes (depending on the number of coaches of that class in the train) has been earmarked for senior citizens, female passengers 45 years of age and above and pregnant women.

(iii) Instructions have been issued for earmarking a minimum of 07 seats for senior citizens in 1st and last 2nd class general compartment for entire period of local train services on suburban sections of all Zonal Railways.

(iv) Instructions already exist for provision of Wheel Chair at stations. The Wheelchairs are provided by Railways on its own cost and are given to attendants of Persons with disabilities (Divyangjan), Senior Citizens absolutely ‘free of cost’ to escort them from and to the trains. However, whenever attendants are not willing or available, porters (Sahayaks) can be hired on pre-fixed nominal rate to escort the Persons with disabilities (Divyangjan) etc. Information in this regard is displayed at prominent places in railway station premises,  Provision of one wheelchair per platform and in case of island platforms one wheel chair per two platforms at all major stations.

(v) Yatri Mitra Sewa has been introduced at major railway stations for enabling passengers to book wheel chairs services cum porter services free of cost through NGOs, Charitable trust, PSUs etc under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

(vi) Provision of Battery Operated Vehicles (BOVs) at some stations for Persons with disabilities (Divyangjan), Senior Citizens, Sick passengers and Pregnant women has been made “free of cost’ through CSR and commercial publicity route as well as on chargeable basis.

(vii) After departure of the train, if there are vacant lower berths available in the train and if any person with disability booked on the authority of handicapped concession or a senior citizen or a pregnant woman, who has been allotted upper/middle berth, approaches for allotment of vacant lower berths, the on board Ticket Checking Staff has been authorized to allot the vacant lower berth to them making necessary entries in the chart.

(viii) Separate counters are earmarked at various Passenger Reservation System(PRS) centers for dealing with the reservation requisitions received from ladies, persons with disabilities, Senior Citizens, Ex. MPs, MLAs, accredited journalists and freedom fighters, if the average demand per shift is not less than 120 tickets. In case there is no justification for earmarking of an exclusive counter for any of these categories of persons including ladies, Persons with disabilities or senior citizens, one or two counters depending upon the total demand are earmarked for dealing with the reservation requests for all these categories of persons.