India, Feb. 23 -- At a time when passenger amenities are under scrutiny, the battery-operated cars (BOCs) introduced for the convenience of elderly and physically-challenged commuters at Pune Railway Station are lying in a damaged and neglected condition near the station premises in the yard area, raising serious concerns about maintenance and long-term planning. As of today, the service has been completely stopped for the past several months.

This marks yet another failed attempt in a decade-long struggle to sustain the facility. The BOC service was first introduced in 2014 with vehicles donated by nationalised banks and corporate companies, but lack of proper maintenance and charging infrastructure led to their rapid deterioration. In ...