The wait to travel via Mumbai locals might end soon for the general public. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials on Thursday, December 3, said that they will be closely monitoring the cases and accordingly, a decision on resuming suburban services for all commuters will be taken by mid-December.
BMC additional commissioner Suresh Kakani said that a meeting has been scheduled for next week to review the situation in the city and take a decision on resuming the locals for the general public.
However, in the last month, amid a surge in the coronavirus cases and fearing of the second wave in the city, Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal had clarified that the decision to start Mumbai local train services for the general public will be further delayed.
Presently, along with essential workers, women are allowed to travel on local trains but there is a certain time limit attached to it. Furthermore, the Railways had recently stated that the women are barred from carrying their children along with them while using Mumbai locals. This rule is applicable to both Central Railways and Western Railways. This was enforced after observing that several female passengers would carry their children along with them while travelling. As a result, to stop children from boarding the local trains, this rule has been put in place. To ensure that this and other rules are being followed Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel are deployed at each entry gate.
Meanwhile, after Diwali, the railways had permitted the teaching and non-teaching staff to travel by the Mumbai local. They have to carry a valid identity card. Students using local trains will have to carry the valid hall tickets for Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Education Examinations. Moreover, this permission to travel by suburban services is valid only until December 10, 2020.