Metro stations: New frisking booths for women

May 14, 2013

14th May,2013. Hindustan Times (Delhi)

Faizan Haider

NEW DELHI: Amid complaints of privacy by women commuters in Delhi Metro, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has finalised new frisking booths, which will be placed at Metro stations across the National Capital Region (NCR). CISF, which is responsible for the security of Metro stations, has suggested structural changes in the existing frisking booths to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). DMRC will be procuring these booths after the tendering process.

One of the major complaints of women commuters was people watching them when they were getting frisked.The new booths will be covered with curtains at the entry point and the remaining part will be covered with walls made of fibre. If required, these booths can be shifted from one location to another.

RAJESH KUMAR/HT PHOTO

We have been receiving complaints from women passengers for quite some time. One of the issues they had was people watching them when they were getting frisked. At many stations, there are temporary frisking booths and we have asked the DMRC to replace them,” said a senior CISF official, requesting anonymity.

“At a few stations there is not much space but we are working it out. Now every Metro station will have a booth of similar design unlike the current plan where they have separate booths for separate stations,” he added. Another issue, which was also raised by women commuters, was about their baggage getting stolen while they were being frisked. This too has been addressed.

The booths will have a gap at a place from where women can see their bags getting scanned. “Once the booths are installed, we will change the location of the baggage scanner. The space will be at the eye level and either at the right or left side wall of the booth. We hope women passengers will not have any other issues once the new booths are installed,” the CISF official added.

According to CISF, 50 per cent of Metro stations have this problem where frisking and screening of women passengers and their baggage are done at separate points. Over 20 lakh commuters travel by the Delhi Metro every day and 40 per cent of them are women..

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