For Re 1, Mumbaikars stay alert

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Rajdeep Sardesai

26/11: Terror comes precariously close

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Mumbai: The 7/11 blasts in Mumbai wreaked devastation on the city's lifeline - the Railways.

With over 75 lakh commuters everyday; 1,400 commuters per minute at peak hours; but just 5,000 security personnel, railway platforms are soft targets of terror. How do you keep Mumbai's lifeline from being attacked again? Commuter awareness.

The Mumbai Railway Police and advertising agency Grey Worldwide has announced an innovative drive, Operation Citizens Alert, to increase commuter awareness through a Re 1 coin.

As part of the campaign, the Re 1 coins, which bear stickers asking commuters to be on the alert for any suspicious baggage, are scattered by the railway police at all stations.

The coins are picked up and the message sinks in. "When you pick the coin up, you get a nice message at the back - to prevent that sort of incident from happening again," says President (South East Asia) of Grey Global Group, Nirvik Singh.

What's unique about this particular scheme is that it's cost effectiveness and interactive, which make it more impactful.

As compared to a traditional ad campaign, all this campaign requires is the value of the coins and the stickers, which in this case have been gifted to the Railway Police by Grey Worldwide.

The Railway Pravasi Mitra programme scheme will also see Government employees being roped in to do their bit.

"In this, around 10,000 commuters will be made Railway pravasi mitras. With their help, these coins should be displayed and the propaganda carried forward," says DCP Ramrao Pawar on the Railway Pravasi Mitra scheme.

In times when a Re 1 coin can't even buy you a cup of tea, the Railway police is hoping to make it a priceless tool for generating awareness and saving lives.