Commute on the Mumbai Local Train services across the city has been an important aspect of several working-class people in the city. Until date, the government and the railways had allowed people from essential services, dabbawalas, and women to travel by the local train. However, on Thursday, October 22, 2020, the government permitted lawyers in Mumbai to travel by the local trains.
The permission for the advocates will be able to travel by local train is valid until November 23, 2020. This is being tested on an experimental basis and will be subjective to certain conditions. The decision regarding this request was taken after the lawyers had approached the Bombay High Court seeking permission to travel by the local train.
Several public interest petitions were filed seeking permission for local travel to lawyers and consider them as a part of essential service. Observing the same, Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni's bench has been continuously hearing the issue.
On Thursday, they passed a decision and stated that lawyers and their registered clerks will be able to travel and this was allowed after consulting with the state government. However, the trial period will be applicable for one month, to understand how the railways manage the crowd and other aspects.
Furthermore, they will be allowed to travel from the first service until 8 am, then from 11 am to 4 pm and again from 7 pm until the last local. This has been done to avoid the crowd and chaos. Besides this, different tickets will have to be issued for each trip, both to and from the destination. Advocates will get tickets only after they show the official identity cards issued by the Maharashtra and Goa Bar Council, and they can travel only for official work and not for private work.
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