BANGALORE: Bangalore City Railway Station on Wednesday became the first railway station in the country to have "electric ferry service" (a battery operated cart) for the physically challenged.

South Western Railway (SWR) general manager T.N. Perti inaugurated the service here on Wednesday.

Physically disabled persons can call 9900789789 for the "service" once they reach the station. The service is offered free of cost and is sponsored by Maini Material Movement Ltd., and Shrishti Communications. Maini manufactures the Reva electric car. While Maini has manufactured the cart, Shrishti takes care of the daily maintenance in lieu of advertisement space provided to them. The Railways would incur no cost except providing electricity to charge the battery. The four-seat cart runs on battery whose maintenance and other charges are generated through advertisements. Physically challenged passengers can move from one platform to another with the help of the cart. Mr. Perti told presspersons that the railways was working closely with the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) to build a new building and other infrastructure at the second entry to the City Railway Station (Rajajinagar side).

He said five other stations were being upgraded — Bangalore Cantonment, Krishnarajapura, Bangarpet, Tumkur and Hosur. Next fiscal would see another five stations — Whitefield, Malleswaram, Yelahanka, Dharmapuri and Mandya — being upgraded.

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