18 May,2011 07:15 AM IST | | Vedika Chaubey
RPF says only trained personnel will operate the 'essential' machine now
WITH the baggage scanner at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus suffering frequent breakdowns, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has decided to allow only a few trained personnel to operate it.
Officials say the scanner, which was installed after the 26/11 attacks, is essential for ensuring passenger safety.
The baggage scanner installed at the CST in 2009 broke down several times as it is often handled by the RPF officers who are not trained
"The baggage scanner has broken down several times since it was installed in 2009. This happens because it is often handled by RPF officers who are not trained in using it as well," said a senior RPF official.
"The machine takes hours to get repaired. What if someone carrying something dangerous enters the premises during this time?
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And, due to the presence of just one such scanner, we have to let some passengers go through without getting their luggage scanned when there is a heavy rush. We are trying to make sure that doesn't happen either," added the senior official.
Confirming the move, P C Sinha, senior divisional security commissioner (RPF), said, "Letting too many personnel operate the machine leads to it getting damaged. We have now decided to let only a few trained RPF men handle this job now."
Passengers, however, say they are happier when the machine isn't working. Reema Yadav, who was heading for Patna, said, "I don't think this baggage scanner is necessary.
Getting one's luggage scanned through it is a time-consuming process and I have never heard of the machine finding something suspicious in anyone's baggage anyway."
Bodily signs
15 RPF men are also being trained in reading body language to detect suspicious behaviour among passengers coming into the station. These men will be in plainclothes and will either sit at the entrance or patrol the station premises.
