The Tripunithura Railway Station may soon be able to boast of e-toilets, the first in the district. The e-toilets will be constructed using the funds of P Rajeev MP.
“Many such toilets have been installed at various schools in the district. A part of the fund will be set aside for an e-toilet at the railway station,” P Rajeev said.
He was speaking to reporters during his visit to the Tripunithura Railway station along with Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Rajesh Agarwal on Saturday.
A proposal to start ‘she-toilet, exclusively for women, has also been mooted. The she-toilet facility will consist of a sanitary-napkin vending machine and an incinerator for destroying the used napkins.
e-toilets a Relief
The decision to set up the high-technology e-toilet will be a relief to the passengers at Tripunithura which lacks proper toilet facility at the station.
According to the members of the Tripunithura Rajanagiri Union of Residents Associations (TRURA) and EDRAACH, the toilet facilities at the upper class waiting room are always unavailable to the common people.
“The Railway officials say that they are forced to shut the doors to the upper class room owing to its misuse. A person who has to use the toilet has to approach the station master for the keys,” TRURA chairman V P Prasad said.
Staff Shortage
Considering the memorandum submitted by TRURA and other associations on the lack of personnel to issue tickets at the station, DRM Rajesh Agarwal said the working timings of the Railway staff will be adjusted to make their services available to more passengers.
According to the TRURA chairman, there are no clerks at the station between 9 pm and 6 am.
Hence, the station master is burdened with a lot of work, including issuing of tickets to passengers who wish to board the Jayanthi Janatha Express and Vanchinad Express. “The station master has to do his duties as well as assume the role of a ticket clerk which is extremely burdening. The passengers are thus forced to travel without tickets,” he added. Meanwhile, Rajesh Agarwal said extra staff cannot be appointed at the station consideration its low patronage. “However, the timings will be changed from 6 am to 5 am making it more beneficial for the public,” Rajesh Agarwal said.
Unkept Promises
TRURA members said that despite the promises made by Ernakulam MP and Union Minister K V Thomas, Parasuram Express has not yet been alloted a stop at the station. However, Rajeev said steps are being taken in this regard. “The decision is with the Railway Board. We are pressuring the board for the same.”, he said.
DRM Rajesh Agarwal said steps will be taken to address the issue.