I write this not only as a Master Mariner who has spent decades working in safety-critical environments, but also as a concerned citizen.

The recent South Central Railway notice prohibiting walking on MMTS platforms by unauthorized persons may be legally justified. Safety and passenger convenience are important, and nobody disputes that. However, this decision highlights a larger failure that citizens are being forced to pay for.

For years, thousands of senior citizens, retired employees, homemakers, students, and working professionals have used railway station platforms during non-peak hours for walking and light exercise. They do so not because they wish to inconvenience passengers, but because many neighborhoods simply do not have parks, walking tracks, footpaths, or public recreational spaces.

In cities like Hyderabad, safe and accessible walking infrastructure is becoming increasingly scarce. Broken footpaths, heavy traffic, encroachments, and the lack of public parks leave citizens with very few options. For many elderly people, the local railway station is the only place where they can walk safely, meet friends, and maintain their health.

If authorities believe that walking on platforms poses a safety concern, then the answer should not be a blanket prohibition. Instead, they should work with local communities to identify practical solutions such as designated walking hours, specific platform areas, or alternative public spaces.

Healthy citizens reduce the burden on healthcare systems. Encouraging physical activity should be a public priority, not an afterthought.

We respectfully urge South Central Railway, state authorities, and local elected representatives to reconsider this decision and engage with the community before restricting one of the few available walking spaces. At the same time, we call upon our political leaders to invest in proper parks, walking tracks, footpaths, and public exercise spaces so that citizens are not forced to depend on railway platforms for their daily walks.

A society that values the health and dignity of its people must provide them with safe places to walk.

Capt. Gopakumar
Master Mariner
Concerned Citizen, Hyderabad