Mumbai mayor takes local train to work, appeals citizens to wear mask

Kishori Pednekar, on her routine visit to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters on Wednesday, took a local train from Byculla, where her official residence is located, to CSMT.

A day after warning citizens that the city might head towards another lockdown if they do not take Covid-19 precautions, Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar on Wednesday travelled by local train between Byculla and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and requested passengers to wear mask.

Mayor Kishori Pednekar at a railway station stall. (BMC)

Pednekar, on her routine visit to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters on Wednesday, took a local train from Byculla, where her official residence is located, to CSMT. She asked food stall operators at stations, stall owners outside railway stations and passengers inside local trains to wear mask, maintain social distancing, wash hands and use sanitiser.

Pednekar had on Tuesday said, “If citizens do not follow Covid-19 guidelines, there will be no option for the state but to go for another lockdown. It is on the citizens to ensure that proper masking, sanitisation and social distancing are maintained.”

Apart from this, BMC has also set up squads on ward level to keep a watch on passengers travelling in local trains without wearing a mask.

According to railway officials, daily around 3.7 million passengers are travelling via Western and Central Railways.

Meanwhile, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday directed district authorities to strictly enforce the standard operating procedures (SOPs) laid down to facilitate unlocking in the state. Taking a serious note of the laxity in Covid-appropriate behaviour, Thackeray had warned that a lockdown would be imposed again if people do not prevent crowding or wear masks in public.