(MENAFN- Live Mint) A porter operating at Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station has been fired and directed to refund a customer ₹9,000 after he overcharged the non-resident Indian passenger ₹10,000 for wheelchair service at the station, according to a Times of India report.
The railway authority has issued a public apology after the incident came to light and the offending porter was fired.
The NRI passenger, identified as Payel hailing from Gujarat and residing in London, was charged ₹10,000 for wheelchair service at Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station in Delhi on December 28, it added. She approached the authorities and lodged an official complaint after discovering that the exorbitant bill was not in line with standard services provided at railway stations, as per the report.
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The incident occurred when her parents Sandhya and Ritesh were travelling from Delhi to Agra on December 28 and the porter demanded ₹10,000 to take her father up the stairs in a wheelchair and push their luggage. However, a local acquaintance Anil Sharma, who is the secretary of the Prepaid Auto Taxi Drivers' Union, informed Payel that services at the railway station are free with nominal charges for the assistance from porters.
Payel relayed this to her husband who approached the GRP of Agra Cantonment Railway Station and filed a case. The GRP then initiated the case and worked with Hazrat Nizamuddin station officials to comb through CCTV to identify the errant porter.
Once identified, the porter was directed to refund ₹9,000 to the family and had his license revoked by the railways.
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After the incident, the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Delhi made a public apology over the issue terming the porters actions as“inappropriate” and noting that such actions“dent passenger confidence in the railway system”.
The statement reiterated that the DRM has a zero-tolerance policy for malpractice and exploitation of passengers, adding that strong measures would be in place to avoid a recurrence.
The statement also stressed on passenger and railway staff being vigilant and appealed to passengers to immediately report their grievances at the 139 helpline number.
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