The Bombay High Court on Thursday asked why should women commuters travelling on suburban trains have a small first class compartment as compared to general.
At present in trains, a woman first-class compartment seats 14 women while general has 72 seats.
A division bench of Justice Naresh Patil and Justice Girish Kulkarni said, "Railways, should on a pilot basis increase the size of first class compartment for women. We are confident their revenues will increase. We feel it is only because of lack of space that woman avoid traveling in first class compartment and travel by general."
The bench in open court took a consensus of fa ew lady advocates present during the hearing, who agreed with the court's view. The advocates said, since the seats are less we are forced to take a general class.
Additional Solicitor General, Anil Singh appearing for the railways said, "We have earmarked special all women trains and observed that after peak hours, woman compartments are empty."
To which the bench said, "Monitor your revenue for a period and see if its increases, or else you can go back to the old system."
The direction was given during the hearing of a PIL highlighting lack of facilities at stations, filed after last years stampede incident at Elphinstone bridge.
