Key Points :
- On Friday 16th October, the Maharashtra government had given a nod for women to access the trains for travel by the Mumbai Local Trains.
- Hours after the permission was granted by the MVA government, officials from Western Railway on Friday, 16th October said that the services for women cannot resume thereby declining the permission for their commute.
- Officials have decided that the services can start only after discussions are held in a meeting between the State and Railway Authorities.
Mumbai’s local train services are the lifeline of the metropolitan city and were put to a standstill since the 23rd of March 2020, owing to the nationwide lockdown induced due to the coronavirus pandemic. A few months ahead of March 2020, government gave a green signal for the government officials and front line workers to use the train services for daily commute. Partial service for local trains was announced on June 15, 2020.Currently, the services in Mumbai local trains are limited only to the workers from the essential services. The general public is not being permitted, which has raised concerns as several have complained about their daily life, jobs, and business being affected severely. Millions of people in Mumbai Metropolitian Region live away from the city and depend on the railways for their daily commute, and the delay in granting permission is only adding to the troubles and inconvenience.Currently, a special pass is being issued to commuters. Only members with QR-code based passes are allowed to board the trains.Earlier this month, the government also allowed Dabbawallas to commute via local trains as their services were dependent on the Mumbai local.
On Friday 16th October, the Maharashtra government had given a nod for women to access the trains for travel by the Mumbai Local Trains. However, hours after the permission was granted by the MVA government, officials from Western Railway on Friday, 16th October said that the services for women cannot resume thereby declining the permission for their commute.
As per reports, officials have decided that the services can start only after discussions are held in a meeting between the State and Railway Authorities. Following which, the team will chart out guidelines and then permission will be granted.A statement released by the officials stated that it would not be possible to permit ladies during the postulated hours from October 17, 2020. As per the request sent by the government, women were expected to travel in the Mumbai local trains between 11 am to 3 pm and from 7 pm until the last service. However, clarification is awaited in this matter.A letter was sent by the State Government recently which stated that the services can resume for women, however, the WR has clarified that approval needs to be taken from the board before approving the same.
Keeping this in mind, railway officials and members from the government will have a meeting to finalize the number of passengers to be permitted. Guidelines and SOPs will be drawn about maintaining social distancing and other safety measures followed by which a final call will be taken on the matter.The information was given by Sumit Thakur, Chief PRO-WR.
