State may restrict local train travel again

MUMBAI: Maharashtra government is considering imposing restrictions again on the local train commuting on suburban trains in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) amid the upsurge in the cases in the region over the last two weeks. The decision is likely after a review of the cases in the next few days and the state government may either reduce the allotted time slots for the general public or revoke the permission allowing people working in essential services only.

Relief and rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar said on Friday that the state government was thinking of rescheduling the train timing in the wake of the rising cases. “We will not completely restrict the general public from commuting on the train, but will reschedule the timings,” he said.

Experts and state officials are of the opinion that suburban train travel is one of the reasons behind the spike in Covid-19 cases in Mumbai and neighbouring areas in the past few days. Since the suburban train services were reopened for the general public during non-peak hours on February 1, an average of three million commuters has been travelling by the same. Crowded trains are being seen as one reason behind the spike.

According to the officials from the state government, the review is expected to be taken next week. “It is true that the crowding in local trains is one of the reasons for the upsurge in the Covid-19 cases in the MMR.

The number of passengers in all three lines has increased four times after the general public was allowed to travel in local trains from February 1. The state government may either revoke the permission given to the general public completely or reduce the allotted time slot to reduce the crowding in the locals,” an official said.

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, in his televised address last Sunday, had said that the decision over the lockdown will be taken in eight days after reviewing the situation.