TIRUCHY: With several passengers continuing to transport poultry in passenger compartments, the Railways has started imposing heavy fines and making the offenders get down from trains.
The Southern Railway, in a recent directive, admitted that there were no proper rules about transporting poultry. Small animals and birds (mongoose, rabbit, guinea pig, cat, etc) other than poultry can be carried in passenger coaches at the owner’s risk. But the owner needs permission from the station master of the starting station and the consent of fellow passengers, the directive said.
Railway officials are inspecting trains to stop the transportation of roosters on the Tiruchirappalli-Howrah Express. “Since we have already intensified the inspection, merchants will stop this unauthorised transportation,” a railway official said.
However, a railway source said the merchants could transport poultry in brake vans of trains. “They can transport poultry in brake vans with proper booking. We will not allow it in passenger coaches,” a source said.
But roosters are still being transported on the Howrah Express for cockfighting competitions in Odisha and West Bengal. “Some merchants were caught for transporting roosters. Officials imposed fines and made them alight. Some are putting a rubber band or small tape to prevent roosters from crowing,” said Babu Mondal, a trader from Odisha who visits Tiruchy regularly for buying roosters from central Tamil Nadu.
The lack of strict baggage scanning at the Tiruchy railway station is helping merchants board train with roosters. A passenger was fined for travelling with this unauthorised ‘companion’ on Friday.