In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the state government has imposed strict restrictions, which has led to the closure of public transport by the railway administration. However, the number of passengers on Central and Western Railway routes has gone up to 35 lakhs even after the ban on local travel.
Therefore, the process of obtaining the document mandatory for local train travel -- the QR code-based ‘Universal Travel Pass’ -- has been kickstarted.
The Maharashtra government has gone live with https://epassmsdma.mahait.org, thereby enabling access to companies and organisations. Over the last couple of days, some people have already availed of this travel pass.
After clicking the link, the establishment has to first register for this UTP. The QR code-based identity card that was issued last time, will not be eligible. Establishments need to re-apply for this, which shall be checked by our ticketing and booking staff, said a railway official.
At this point in time, three categories are broadly eligible for the Universal Travel Pass - medical, education and (utility) services.
The medical category is subdivided into eight different sub-categories, like diagnostic centres, hospitals, dispensaries, medical and pharmaceutical stores etc. Likewise, in the education category, only teachers are allowed. Finally, the services category is divided into seven sub-categories, namely telecom, defence, metro/monorail, gas supply, electric supply etc.
Furthermore, passes with QR codes will be checked using a smartphone or QR reader machine and this is expected to help identify travellers with fake identities.
Also Read: Western Railways warns citizens against using fake identity cards to travel on Mumbai Locals
The UTP also mentions the ‘Level of Travel Category’, along with the address of the establishment and QR code. There is an option to print out this UTP as well.
Meanwhile, the establishment registration form asks for a few details. They are, registration number, uploading of the registration certificate, name and address of the establishment, the category and type under which the establishment falls and the number of staff needing UTPs.
In the next step, the mobile number of the employee who has been registered must be filled and an OTP will be sent to this number. The photograph of the employee is mandatory for the same. The UTP will then be available to download on one’s mobile phone.
The form has ‘coordinator details’, seeking the name, mobile number, email address and designation of the coordinator. Finally, the establishment is registered.
This QR code system will add pressure on those travelling on fake IDs and this will eventually reduce the number of commuters. Emergency and essential service personnel can get a pass with a QR code at the railway station.
Also Read: Ganeshotsav 2021: Central Railways to run 72 special trains
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