VVIP Not Needed? Railways Gets Ordinary Citizens To Inaugurate Railway Bridges In Mumbai

Ditching the popular culture of having officials and politicians inaugurate projects, the Western Railways (WR) and Central Railways (CR) have decided to rope in the aam aadmi to throw open foot-over-bridges (FoBs) on the Mumbai Suburban Railway.

Three FoBs were thrown open simultaneously at 3.30 pm at Kalyan and Currey Road on the Central line and Elphinstone Road on the Western line. While Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal, Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis and Minister of State for Defence Dr Subhash Bhamre were present at Elphinstone Road, they took a backseat, reports Mumbai Mirror.

Flower vendors use the Elphinstone FoB due to the presence of a flower market to the west. WR decided that a flower vendor would inaugurate the bridge that was built after a stampede last year killed 23 people. Among the victims was the son of a flower seller.

The Currey Road FoB was thrown open by five dabbawalas aged between 48 and 70. Much like the suburban rail, dabbawalas have become a symbol of the city over the years.

The Ambivali FoB at Kalyan was thrown open by women passengers whose identities CR did not disclose till the last moment.