Life has limped back to normalcy and one can see Mumbaikars back on streets. What Mumbaikars are eagerly waiting for is the city's lifeline - Mumbai Locals.
Well, it seems that we have some good news for you. Maharashtra Minister and Congress leader Vijay Waddetiwar on Tuesday said that Mumbai local trains may resume services frokm January 1. He said that the state government is mulling ways to resume services and make proper arrangements for the safety of passengers, reported Times Now.
Earlier, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, too, had hinted that the state government might only consider resuming suburban local train services post-December 31.
Chahal stated that the civic body can only submit its recommendation about permitting the general public to travel by local trains across Mumbai only after monitoring the situation during Christmas and New Year revelry.
Last month Chahal had stated that the train services are likely to resume from December 15, looking at the declining number of Covid cases and deaths. However, the civic body seems to be in no mood to take a risk owing to the lurking threat of a second wave of Covid-19 hitting the city.
"It took a lot of effort from all our frontline workers to get a grip over the rising number of cases in the city; teams have slogged day and night tracing contacts, ensuring safety protocols are followed etc. We do not want to take a hasty decision and ruin all that. We will recommend to the state government that suburban train services be resumed for all only after monitoring the situation during Christmas and New year celebrations. Depending on the situation, we can decide on re-starting local trains from January 1, 2021," Chahal said.
Currently, only certain categories of persons, including those working for essential services and women, are allowed to travel by local trains.
