2 yrs on, railway ticket counter remains defunct

CHENNAI: For years, a non-functional ticket counter at the Pazhavanthangal railway station has been causing trouble to the suburban passengers. The closed ticket counter has now become a stray dog hub, worsening the situation further for commuters.

The residents said the ticket counter, shut during the COVID-19 , is not yet open. “The ticket counter has been closed for over two years. Aged or differently-abled people are forced walk a long distance to the other side of the track to reach the only functioning counter. There are no escalators or lift facilities, so they must climb the Foot Over Bridge to reach the other side,” said Aishwarya S, a local resident.

Commuters said the stray dogs menace is a never-ending problem for them. The stray dogs lie in front of the counter and cause inconvenience to the passengers. Denizens complain that after continuous complaints, the Corporation vehicle came to catch the dogs once, but failed in their ‘mission’. “Before COVID-19, the counter used to open at 7 am to 10 am and 7 pm to 10pm. We request the officials to reopen in the same time,” said E Prabhakaran, a local resident.

“We have complained many times about this issue, but no action has been taken. The lights in the railway station are also not working and it is difficult, especially for the ladies. The railways do not take any action to resolve the issues,” fumed M Arumugam, an auto driver.

Efforts to reach out to a senior railway official went futile.