Birla Sun Life Insurance takes up a life saving public service initiative

Birla Sun Life Insurance, in an endeavor to create awareness and responsiveness amongst railway commuters took up the task of initiating a public service campaign. The company did this through an outdoor innovation by installing a life sized coffin between the railway wall gaps or commonly known "railway shortcuts' near Matunga station (a station on Mumbai Western Railway line).

Commenting on the concept of creating a shocking experience for commuters, Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer - Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group said "Every year over 3500 people die on Mumbai's suburban railway tracks. Incidentally this is the highest number of casualties in any suburban railway system in the world. Of these the highest numbers of fatalities occur when time crunched passengers walk across the tracks instead of using the safer option of foot over bridges." He adds, "In spite of the fact that people identify with the risk involved, they risk their life to take a plausible path to grave; then why not install a coffin to bring the realization a little closer."

Expressing her thoughts on the innovation, Nandita Chalam, Vice President and Senior Creative Director, JWT said "People who risk their lives on a daily basis by taking shortcuts through the tracks needed to be shaken out of their carelessness. The stark and simple Coffin placed on gaps in the wall made them stop in their tracks and take the foot over bridge instead."

The coffin that is placed right in between the railway wall gaps are accompanied by posters pasted on both sides of the wall in Hindi and English that read, "Short Cut or Dead End? Use Foot Over Bridge'

The Railways have tried many options like penalty and warnings; however most commuters usually circumvent them and continue to opt for this risky alternative. The Coffin innovation provided immediate results bringing down death cases due to railway crossing in these sections substantially. This was purely since in order to take these shortcuts, one had to walk through the Coffin and nobody wanted to do that. This drive was first initiated by Birla Sun Life Insurance first at Dahisar and on appreciation and positive response from the Railway authorities it was extended to many more stations. It also led to the Railways authorities expedite plugging the gaps in the wall wherever observed across the Western Railway track.