At a time when Maharashtra is affected with the second wave of the coronavirus, it has come to light that the state government and the railway administration are now neglecting the COVID-related protocols -- social distancing, restrictions to the general public and other regulations as well.
After the local trains were thrown open for all, there has been a huge increase in the number of passengers travelling daily. However, many commuters have complained about the lack of social distancing in packed train coaches, something that the authorities have to contend with.
Experts have previously said that the resumption of suburban trains for the general public likely had a role to play in the current COVID-19 surge across Mumbai.
Data shows that around 3.8 million people travel by local trains every day - 2.1 million on Central Railway lines and 1.7 million on the Western Railway network.
According to the order, the general public is not allowed to travel during peak hours. This decision was taken to ensure that the trains are not overcrowded and social distancing rules can be maintained. However, it has been observed that these norms are not being followed lately. Although the time has been fixed for the passengers, there is a big crowd of passengers at the stations.
Also Read: Local Train Timings to Remain Unchanged in Mumbai for Now
Initially, passengers were allowed to enter the premises only after checking their identity cards at the entrance of the railway station. Railway police and ticket-checkers were deployed for the task. In an investigation that took place a few days ago, it was witnessed that the ticket checking at the entrance on both the Central and Western Railways has been discontinued.
Apart from that, tickets were issued to everyone without seeing the identity cards. The state government and the railways have been issuing local tickets to the general public even during the restricted hours. Meanwhile, the railway police checkpoints near the entrances to the stations are also not seen anymore. There are instructions to travel with physical distance as per the rules of Railways and State Government but this does not seem to be the case in any public transport.
As per the rules, an average of 700 passengers are allowed to travel on one locomotive during the pandemic. But, the daily number of passengers on the Central Railway is around 20 to 22 lakhs. On Tuesday, March 16, the number of daily commuters again reached 20 lakhs, the Railways said.
During peak hours, there are long queues in front of the ticket windows on both Central and Western Railways. It has been also observed that passengers are not wearing face masks, not maintaining physical distance or using sanitisers etc. Besides, peddlers also infiltrate local trains during rush hour and no action is being taken against them.
Though action is being taken against passengers who do not wear masks at the railway station. Since February, 8,203 passengers have been booked on the Western Railway and a fine of INR 13,21,400 has been recovered from them. On Central Railway, action has been taken against 7,000 passengers so far.
Read More: Centre urges Maharashtra govt to use antigen kits at railway stations, bus stops
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