Despite suspension of passenger train services, the 182 Security Helpline number of the Railway Protection Force in Tiruchi Division has been receiving calls from public every day.
The control room has been working round the clock with men posted in shifts despite lockdown. It received a little over 5,500 calls from March 22 to April 27. The helpline received calls relating to domestic gas bookings and even those seeking queries for cell phone recharge and other non-security related issues.
The helpline is equipped with three telephone instruments with RPF personnel working in shifts to attend calls. The control room is equipped with automatic calling device. The helpline facility was created for the benefit of rail travellers to keep the RPF informed about security-related issues including theft of passenger belongings and suspicious looking objects noticed on board trains or on platform besides seeking medical assistance for ailing passengers.
The duty RPF personnel upon receiving the non-security calls have been politely informing the callers at the other end that the facility was meant only for conveying security-related issues.
This was happening despite periodic awareness campaigns conducted earlier on the kind of information to be conveyed to the RPF Security Helpline for prompt remedial action.