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Passengers in Mumbai give "Right to Travel" plan to railways

The passengers' delegation has curated an exhaustive timetable to let citizens use local train services in Mumbai

Passengers in Mumbai give "Right to Travel" plan to railways
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Locals with bated breath await when they will be permitted to use the local train services in Mumbai. Some commuters took the onus upon themselves and approached the railways with a "Right to Travel" plan. It comprises an hour based travel plan supported by official train and passengers statistics. The locals were said to be scouring for a solution amid the governmental authorities pointing fingers at one another. 

Through the plan, the delegation has requested the authorities to come together and change the entry and exit points into those at Metro stations. Moreover, till the pandemic, time-based passes should be used. The passes will be divided into Red Pass (Grade I), Yellow Pass (Grade II) and Green Pass (Grade III) for essential workers, private employees and shopkeepers, other timings through the day respectively. Red Pass can be utilized from 7 am-10.30 am and 5 pm-7 pm, whilst the Yellow Pass can be used from 4.30 am-6.30 am and 7.30 pm-9.30 pm.

Each pass should have a 30 minutes buffer and this plan also encourages shift timings at the workplace. Instead of being empty on one side, trains will be fully used. Additionally, hawkers will not be permitted in a 100m radius from the station.

Madhu Kotian, Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh president with the delegation met the Central Railway's divisional officers. He said that whilst government employees are permitted to travel, taxpayers aren't. He questions if taxpayers aren't allowed to earn a livelihood, how are they expected to pay taxes that are used to pay these government employees. 

Siddhesh Desai, vice-president of the Sangh also added that the railway authorities cannot keep their hands folded while awaiting the state government's approval. He claims that the delegation has offered a time-bound plan that can be implemented seamlessly.

88% of the 3141 services that is 2779 are currently running. Keeping in mind the covid restrictions each local can accommodate 1000. The plan thus elaborates that even if 70% of the total passengers are allowed, one lakh can travel. Thus, the ticketing capacity should be boosted. The spokesperson of the Central and Western Railway, on the other hand, states that they are coordinating with the state government and ensuring that appropriate covid protocols are implemented. 

Western Railway Zonal Users’ Consultative Committee's Shailesh Goyal, curated the idea that fully vaccinated people should be permitted to ply by the local trains. He said that Rajesh Tope, Maharashtra's Health Minister had also agreed to this idea. Goyal added that Tope too said that citizens can be given access to locals if the pace of vaccination increases.

Ravi Singhal a member of the passenger association added that if vaccination is made mandatory for train travel, people will be encouraged to get vaccinated.  

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