Passengers arriving at the Chennai central station are distressed as they have to shell out large sums of money to the porters - who swarm the platforms the minute a train arrives. People arriving from different states, who are unfamiliar with the language, are the most affected.
Social activist Arjunshankar, 30, raised a complaint on Twitter on April 21, as his relatives who arrived at the Chennai central station from Kozhikode, Kerala were charged exorbitantly. “The porter carried the trolley for hardly 200 metres (platform 8 to canara bank entrance) and charged us Rs 900 for the same. He was so demanding and I couldn’t reach the station manager as one among the guests who arrived was differently abled. We couldn't keep him waiting. I ended up paying Rs 500," he said. The Indian Railways replied to the tweet asking him to share the journey details (PNR/UTS No.) and his mobile number via direct message. Though he received a call for enquiry from the railway officials within an hour, he said no action had been taken.
Railway passengers have alleged that even after raising complaints on the official grievance redressal website, no visible action has been taken. Tamil Arasi, who recently travelled from Mysuru to Chennai central station, said a porter forcibly dragged her luggage. "There is no transparency in the amount to be paid to the porters, they end up charging three/four times more than the actual fee," she said.
Speaking to TNM, Chokkalingam, a porter at Central station said, “We are daily wage labourers and don’t have fixed salaries, we too have families to manage. The charges fixed by the railways are very less. Carrying 50 kgs on our heads, we walk 1-2 kilometres across the platforms. Being here all day and night, we return home empty-handed at times.”
Chokkalingam said that passengers often react as if we are charging an exorbitant amount for pulling their trolleys. “We do ask for extra money, we are forced to. Understanding our plight, some are willing to pay the amount, while many continue to bargain. But we never demand or harass them,” he added.
According to the South Eastern Railway (SER) portal, porter charges vary from Rs 30 to Rs 120 depending upon the gradation of the stations and the type of services offered. It states that licensed porter charges are displayed on notice boards at the railway station and can be verified with the station managers.
A railway official said action will be taken if porters are found to be fleecing the passengers. Elaborating on this, the official added that people aren't upfront with their complaints. "If an authentic complaint is filed, we will take immediate action and suspend the porter for a period of six months," he said.