Over 41,000 men booked for illegally traveling in coaches reserved for disabled on Mumbai locals

Mumbai: More than 41,000 men were booked for travelling illegally in coaches reserved for the handicapped on Western and Central Railway trains between January 2023 and February 2025.
The number of women booked in the same period was just about 1,541. The data was accessed through a Right to Information (RTI) plea. Activists highlighted the difficulties faced by the disabled in boarding, alighting, or getting a seat in trains during peak hours, despite the legal action.
"During peak hours, when other compartments are full, able-bodied travellers start entering the coach reserved for the disabled.
At times, it becomes impossible for us to board or alight within the few minutes that a train halts at a station," said differently abled activist Nitin Gaikwad who filed the RTI plea. The problem is acute at Ghatkopar, Thane, Kalyan, and Dombivali stations on CR. "By the time a CSMT-bound train reaches Dombivali station, the handicapped coach is chock-a-block with able-bodied travellers.
I have filmed numerous such instances," Gaikwad said, citing an incident where a disabled commuter suffered a leg fracture while trying to alight from the handicapped coach.
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CR's response to the RTI plea shows that the highest number of unauthorised travellers (7,568 cases) were booked by Thane Railway Protection Force (RPF), followed by Dadar RPF, which recorded 3,486 cases, between January 2023 and February 2025. A senior RPF official told TOI they have more manpower deployed at major stations, which is a reason for higher cases.
On WR, disabled travellers face difficulty in boarding or alighting from Virar-bound locals after Bandra station.
"Pushing and shoving inside the handicapped compartment is very common," said Pandharinath Vetkar, a govt employee who has 90% disability and uses crutches while commuting.
On May 16, a visually challenged woman was assaulted in a CR local following a row over seats. The accused, Mohd Ismail Beg, was arrested after a video shot by onlookers went viral. In another incident, a differently-abled man was verbally abused by a woman in the handicapped coach of a CSMT-Badlapur fast train.
"Able-bodied women travellers largely get away scot-free as the RPF does not have sufficient female staff to escort them. Another reason is that under the law, women can't be hauled to the police station after sunset, so they are not prosecuted as much," said an activist. An RPF officer however said they remove able-bodied female travellers from the handicapped coach.
Activists also pointed out that plainclothed policemen travel regularly in handicapped coaches despite it being illegal.
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