The sale of platform tickets has been stopped and any non-passenger caught on the platform has to cough up Rs 260 as fine. The New Delhi railway station has already earned thousands through fines.

Not many are, however, happy with the decision. Fourteen-year-old Priyam Bhattacharya was one of them. Travelling alone to Kolkata with three heavy bags to carry, he was left in the lurch when his elder sister Bipasha was stopped at the platform by Railway officials. “How can I let a small boy go all alone,” she said. “The rule is causing inconvenience for us,” she added. According to her, children and the aged should be barred from the rule.

Nidhi from Allahabad shared a similar view as she noticed many aged people looking for support on their way to the platforms. She was also concerned about people coming to Delhi for the first time. “They would be lost without anyone to guide them,” she said.

Yet many people do not agree with this view. They supported the move and felt that the step will definitely lessen the rush on the platforms. According to Aditya Kumar going to Motihari, “accompanying is unnecessary”. His parents and sister had come to the station to see him off but when updated about the rule, they didn’t take any offence. Kumar’s father feels the need for a structured arrangement outside the station itself so that “that there is no need for relatives to accompany inside.”

The new rule has also opened newer avenues for coolies. With no relatives and friends carrying the passengers’ luggage, coolies are getting more work. However, Roop Singh, a coolie said his earnings have “not increased considerably”.

Railway officials on their part have readymade explanations. “Even when there is no festival, it is difficult to manage the crowd so just imagine what it must be like during the festivals,” said Ram Prakash, a volunteer to help Railways manage the confusion. “Most of the platform crowd is made up of friends and relatives. This rule will reduce the problems caused due to overcrowding,” Pakash said.