The guidelines by the state government say that the Mumbai local trains will run only for crucial services at the moment and with the new verges. Only government personnel and those in emergency services would be allowed to use suburban trains, metro, and mono services in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. People are using cars and private vehicles to travel across the city and state due to which evening hour traffic is uncontrollable.
People flung all the guidelines and rules and somehow manage travel in local trains due to negligence of authorities. On the other hand, Ola, Uber and other private rides are overbooked and they occupy the roads. Despite lockdown, nothing is stalled as it used to be a few months back.
As the Maharashtra government extended the full lockdown in the state till June 1, the limitations that are already in place on Mumbai Local Trains will continue as before. On the other hand, doctors, nurses, paramedics, lab technicians, and clinical staff – will be issued travel passes based on their credentials.
As per the new directives, Mumbai suburban trains will not permit regular commuters. At the cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, all ministers belonging to Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress supported the need to extend the lockdown.
The state also made it mandatory for any person entering the state by any mode of transport to carry a COVID-19 negative report which is issued within 48 hours before his/her arrival. The government has directed the local Disaster Management Authorities to keep tight vigils over rural markets and APMCs to ensure covid appropriate behaviour.
The Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court that only frontline health workers and state government staff are currently allowed to use the services of suburban trains, the monorail, and metro trains amid the deadly second wave of COVID-19.
The reply on Mumbai local trains from the state government came when the Bombay HC bench was hearing a plea filed by the Cooperative Banks Employees Union (CBEU) seeking permission to travel to work by local trains, metro, and monorail services in the city.
