Railways have decided to launch an SMS-based service for immediate response to passenger complaints regarding housekeeping service in coaches.
The service will be launched on a few select trains to facilitate passengers to contact onboard staff through SMS or phone call for complaints related to cleanliness in coaches, toilets and other problems faced during journey.
An On-site Passenger Complaint Redressal System (OPCRS) is being developed as envisaged in the Rail Budget 2013-14, a senior Railway Ministry official said.
The service is likely to be launched in either Mumbai Rajdhani or Bangalore Rajdhani as a pilot project soon.
As per the system, a passenger can send SMS for any issue related to coach housekeeping like dirty toilets, compartment or absence of liquid soap.
"Passengers will SMS his PNR on a common number like one being used for PNR inquiry," the official said.
Railways have asked for a three-digit number from the Department of Telecommunication for the purpose.
Once the SMS is sent, the information will be registered on OPCRS connected with GSM network, and it will be immediately routed to a GSM hand held unit (mobile phone) available with housekeeping supervisor on train.
Simultaneously, an acknowledgement would be sent on the mobile phone of the complainant with a complaint ID with instruction to disclose the ID to the housekeeping supervisor after he attends to the problem to his satisfaction.
Housekeeping supervisor on receipt of passenger information would locate him, get briefing of his requirements and attend to the problem besides giving him feedback.
After the job is done, housekeeping supervisor would request for complaint ID from the passenger and send it via SMS from the hand held unit back to OPCRS. It will send the feedback to the complainant for closure of his complaint.
"In case the passenger does not disclose the complaint ID, it is presumed that the complaint has not been disposed off to the satisfaction of passengers," the official said.