It was reported recently that a large number of migrants left Mumbai to states like UP by hiring rickshaws and taxis. The Maharashtra State Government has now decided to issue permits to taxis (including kaali-peelis) and rickshaws to conduct interstate travel. These passes or permits will reportedly be made available online via the government’s Parivahan portal.
State Transport Commissioner, Shekhar Channe said that the permits will have some limitations as compared to previous years. “We granted such permits in the past but because of the Covid-19 pandemic, there will be riders for the permit," he mentioned.
These passes can be valid for 7 days or up to 3 months depending on the frequency of travel. This is expected to provide an avenue for migrants to travel back to their homes, although there’s no word on how expensive an interstate trip can be given that we’re under a total lockdown, and private taxis are known to fleece customers on a regular basis.
Read Also- Coronavirus Pandemic: 50 Per Cent Dip In Daily Income Of Taxi Drivers
Speaking of transport, Maharashtra has seen multiple trains for migrants so far, while Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is said to be seeking inputs to restart train services for transportation of essential goods. While long-distance goods trains are currently in operation across the country, passenger trains are being allowed in a phased manner.
Those seeking a train journey will have to arrive at the departing station at least 90 minutes prior to undergo all the essential checks including a thermal screening process to detect fever.
However, Mumbai’s local passenger trains are still some time away from operating in full capacity given that the city is currently seeing a major uptick in cases especially in slum pockets like Wadala and Dharavi.
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