Over the years, several lives have been lost to footboard traveling on buses and trains in Chennai. The city police have for years been attempting to address the issue by counselling commuters and registering cases against foot boarders. Yet, the number of cases of footboard traveling continue unabated.
In the latest incident, a shocking video of over 9 young men trying out dangerous stunts while traveling on the footboard of a train has emerged on social media. The video, reportedly captured in the Avadi police station, shows the men hanging from the window rails of the train. Some even managed to climb up the train while others stood on the edge of a footboard, leaning out and screaming.
The Avadi police have since identified that the train was plying the Arakkonam - Chennai Central route on Friday and the incident occurred around 8:50 am - during rush hour when college and school students board the trains.
“We suspect that these kids are from the Ambattur Government Industrial Training Institute (ITI). We have registered cases against them under section 156 of the Railways Act, 1989,” SI of the Avadi Railway Police station told TNM.
The officers also added that a special squad has been formed to nab commuters who continue to travel on footboard despite being warned. Counselling sessions also take place with police addressing young school and college-going students and warning them of the dangers of traveling on footboard.
“We narrate different cases of deaths due to footboard traveling. We give the examples of how commuters fell from moving trains while traveling on footboards. Sometimes it works but the incidence of footboard traveling has not reduced,” he adds.
Watch the video here:
From Avadi, close to 9 students apparently doing stupid stunt on a moving train..
— Pramod Madhav (@madhavpramod1) February 22, 2019
And no cops around to stop them!?!? pic.twitter.com/zQNdkiMONm