The public transport services including metro and BEST bus services in Mumbai will remain open till midnight on polling day to facilitate the smooth conduct of Maharashtra Assembly elections. This will help election staff to reach their destinations on time.
It is pertinent to note that voting will be held on Wednesday, November 20. The commission has already declared a public holiday on polling day in Mumbai.
On the request of Returning Officer, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner and Mumbai's Chief Electoral Officer Bhushan Gagrani took this decision to extend the timings for public transport on the polling day.
Gagarani directed MMRCL, Reliance Metro and Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) to continue their public transport services till late on polling day i.e. November 20, 2024. As per this directive extended transport services will start at 4:00 am on November 20 and will continue till 1:00 am the next day, a press statement released by the EC read.
It aims to facilitate timely and efficient attendance of election staff as they are required to report early at polling stations to perform their required duties. Extended working hours will also benefit voters and daily commuters to travel across the city throughout the day, which will likely increase the voter turnout.
Citizens and election staff are urged to plan their journeys accordingly and take advantage of these extended public transport services.
Further, Divyang and 85+ citizens can benefit from the low-floor deck of AC buses arranged for them.
Meanwhile, the commission has already directed a mandatory public holiday for all government and private sectors, including commercial establishments and traders. The aim is to enable citizens to cast their votes. If the leave is not granted, strict action will be taken by the Election Commission of India under the relevant sections.
However, in exceptional circumstances if it is not possible to grant a full day's leave, employees may be granted an exemption of four hours.
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