Due to the fuel hike across Maharashtra, citizens have been demanding for the Mumbai local travel to resume for ordinary people.
Moreover, the Railway Passengers Federation has stated that it is a political conspiracy to maintain the ban on local travel. Elections for other Municipal Corporations, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is the richest Municipal Corporation reportedly happening.
Meanwhile, due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and the subsequent lockdown, several people are facing a financial crisis, especially the daily wage laborers. However, the number of coronavirus cases has come down drastically in Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, and Navi Mumbai.
Therefore, the association has demanded for the state government consider the financial stability of millions of families. Despite the appeals of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, most of the private establishments do not pay salaries to their employees during this period. In view of this situation, it would be appropriate to start local for the general public who have taken both doses from June 1, the association had earlier stated.
On the other hand, addressing the same, State Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation, Vijay Wadettiwar, during a media interaction, clarified that the Mumbai local train services will not resume for the public until the COVID-19 pandemic ends. He further stated that the public started wandering freely after the first wave, and that led to an increase in COVID-19 cases. If the local train resumes for the general public, there is a possibility of crowding which could worsen the situation currently, and hence, the local trains cannot resume until the pandemic is over.
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Originally published at www.mumbailive.com on June 23, 2021.