The Maharashtra government will likely decide to allow all commuters on Mumbai’s local trains in the next few days.
Maharashtra relief and rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar on Tuesday said that the state government held discussions with various stakeholders and the decision to allow all to travel on local trains will be taken in the next couple of days.
While responding to a tweet by a commuter, Vijay Wadettiwar said: “We will take decision on starting local train services for all in the next couple of days. We have held discussions with various stakeholders. Mumbaikar will get relief on this soon."
With no local trains for the general public, Mumbaikars are facing tremendous hardships due to limited transportation facilities. While the state continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a growing demand among Mumbaikars for the restarting of local trains. The demand gained momentum after the Maharashtra government opened more offices.
The local trains were suspended for the general public since the lockdown began on March 22. The Western Railway and Central Railway resumed their Mumbai suburban services over mainline and Harbour line on June 15. These special suburban services were only for general passengers/public and were strictly meant for ‘essential staff’ as identified by the state government. Those working in the private sector cannot use them, due to which most of them are struggling to reach their workplaces. Meanwhile, on October 21, the state government allowed women to board local trains during non-peak hours.
