Amid a surge in coronavirus cases in Mumbai last month, the Central and Western Railways started a drive to ensure commuters are following COVID-19 protocols.
In this major drive, both CR and WR fined close to 8,000 commuters in February flouting COVID rules. A total fine of INR 14 lakh was collected from 7800 passengers between February 1 to 28.
Out of these, nearly 4,000 cases were registered on the Central Railways, where INR 8 lakh was collected as fine, said chief public relations officer Shivaji Sutar.
Meanwhile, Western Railway chief spokesperson Sumit Thakur said that the officials booked 3,819 people and recovered close to INR 6 lakhs from people not wearing masks while travelling on trains or in station premises.
According to data shared by WR showed that on February 1, the checking squad booked 201 commuters and recovered INR 36,300 as fines from them. The number of cases peaked to 387 on February 25 in which INR 65,900 was recovered as a fine.
The cases then shot up to 430 in which the railway officials collected INR 75,200 as a fine in a single day.
The railway officials have appealed to the commuters to wear masks while travelling, maintain social distancing and travel only when required.
The local train services in Mumbai opened for the general public from February 1 with specific time slots. However, it is believed that the number of cases saw a spike in the city after the trains resumed for all. Around 100 to 200 COVID-19 cases can be attributed to the mega rush in the local trains, said BMC chief.
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