No Immediate Plans To Open Local Train For General Public: Maharashtra Govt

Mumbai: After BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said that the decision to allow the general public to travel by suburban local trains would be taken after the New Year celebrations, with senior officials clarifying that there is no such immediate plan.

Notably, there is speculation that the state government may decide to open a local train after Christmas for all passengers. However, there is no confirmation for this yet.

A TOI report quoted senior government officials as saying that there was no immediate plan to allow the general public to travel by local trains. Due to the overcrowding, caution is exercised as the COVID 19 can become “super speeders”. Officials told the publication that controlling the number of passengers on local people is now the biggest challenge before the state government.

It is worth noting that at present, passengers are allowed to travel by local trains including essential services for a limited class of passengers. 

The report quoted a senior official as saying, “There are too many reservations on starting local trains for all. There is no immediate plan as there is no immediate solution to these reservations.”

Maharashtra cabinet minister and Mumbai (island city) guardian minister Aslam Shaikh was also quoted as saying, “We want to start trains slowly and thoughtfully for all. We will consider all aspects and take the opinion of our (Covid-19) task force team before making a decision.

Meanwhile, Mumbai reported 798 new coronavirus cases, 743 recoveries, and 13 deaths. according to data shared by Municipal Corporation Greater Mumbai. 

While 2,64,971 people have recovered from the infection, 10,948 people have lost their lives with the virus. A total of 2,88,689 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the city, including 11,943 active cases.

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