35 bikes stolen at Arakkonam

CHENNAI: Absence of a contractor for the cycle-cum-two-wheeler stand at Arakkonam Railway Station near the city is taking a heavy toll on motorcycles, with several vehicles parked in the station being missing in the past two months. At least 35 two-wheelers were stolen in the last six months, giving a tough time for the train passengers in the little town situated at Vellore district who largely commute to Chennai for work daily. According to G Prabhakaran, president of Arakkonam Rail Users Association, the parking lot at the Arakkonam Railway Station was shut on February 15 this year, allegedly due to non-payment of tender amount for the cycle-cum-two-wheeler stand. “Since then, passengers are forced to park their vehicles in the open space on the station premises,” he said. With no security for the motorcycles, it has provided ample opportunity for the thieves to make away with the two-wheelers. He said, “Thousands of passengers from the rural pockets around Arakkonam drive down to the town (Arakkonam) for boarding Chennai-bound trains. Many among them use two-wheelers for transportation that are parked at the two-wheeler stand inside the railway station.” On an average, one lakh passengers commute by Electric Multiple Units and express trains between Arakkonam and Chennai. Prabhakaran also claimed that several complaints have been filed in the local police station in this regard. The cycle-cum-two-wheeler stand has a capacity to park 1,500 motorcycles at any given time, he added. However, after the senior officials of the Chennai Division of the Southern Railway were apprised of the hardships faced by the commuters, the cycle-cum-two-wheeler stand was opened up for the general public. But, it came with a caveat. Though people were allowed to use the facility, no security was enhanced for the safety of the vehicles. “Now, we are parking the vehicles at the stand without any protection. The Railway Protection Force are reluctant to provide security for the cycle-cum-two-wheeler stand, as they have not got formal instructions from their higher-ups,” Prabhakaran claimed. When contacted, a senior official in the Chennai Division of the Southern Railway said that steps were taken to get contractors for the cycle-cum-two-wheeler stand as soon as possible. “We have divided the contract into two in an attempt to attract more bidders,” the official added.