Srishti Communications plans to double battery carts at railway stations

Outdoor media owning firm Srishti Communications plans to double the number of battery operated carts that it has deployed at various railway stations across the country. The firm currently runs and maintains 21 carts at stations like New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai Central, Pune, Mysore, etc. These carts serve the dual purpose of transporting citizen citizens and differently abled people across railway platforms and as advertising media.

Srishti Communications deployed the first set of carts way back in 2005 as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative. S Kumar, Founder Director of the OOH firm, maintains that this initiative still remains a CSR function, with the advertising revenues accrued from the medium being ploughed back to maintain the public service. Over the years, a large number of organisations like Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, Airtel, Max Life, among others, have advertised on the carts. Kumar adds that the advertising firms have also used this medium as part of their own CSR initiatives.

Srishti Communications has overcome various challenges in running these carts. For one, stations like Ahmedabad are so crowded that it is often difficult for the cart drivers to navigate through the crowds. There are also challenges like moving the carts from platform to platform - across tracks. Besides, this service is made available 24x7 which presents its own challenges, says Kumar.

Kumar points out that Railway Minister Sadanand Gowda's statement in his Railway Budget 2014-16 speech that battery operated carts will be introduced on a wide scale at railway stations across the country is a testament to the success of the carts operated by Srishti Communications.

There are distinct advantages to operating these carts at the stations. For one, they are pollution-free and noise-less. Besides, they have a small luggage compartment that is handy for passengers who use the carts. Kumar says that in one instance when there was a bomb blast at the Chennai Central station, the battery operated carts were used to move the injured to the hospital outside the station.

Srishti Communications has won several awards and commendations for this initiative.