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Post lockdown, Indian Railways may colour-code zones
The plan is to divide the country into a red zone in which no transport will immediately be allowed, a yellow zone where restricted services will resume and a green zone where transport will be allowed free movement.
When the coronavirus lockdown eventually ends, the Centre will likely resume railway transport services by dividing the country into three zones based on the number of Covid-19 cases each has reported.
The plan is to divide the country into a red zone in which no transport will immediately be allowed, a yellow zone where restricted services will resume and a green zone where transport will be allowed free movement.
According to officials aware of the development, these are all probable scenarios that have been discussed by the Centre for resumption of passenger transport after the lockdown, which is due to be lifted on April 14, but may be prolonged .
Following a Railway Board review meeting, divisional railway managers (DRMs) across the state-run network have been asked to provide suggestions on how train services can resume in the post-lockdown phase
Hindustan Times had reported on Wednesday that the national transporter plans to implement social distancing rules for passengers inside coaches.
“All probable scenarios are being discussed for resumption of services when the lockdown is lifted. We will have to ensure strict social distancing in trains, there has been discussion on no allotment of middle berth in sleeper coaches,” a senior government official, said requesting anonymity.
No linen will be provided and food served on passenger trains until the situation stabilizes, the official said. Measures such as tracking the health status of passengers and not allowing people above 60 to travel on trains are also being considered. Thermal screening at all stations is being mulled and wearing a face mask will be mandatory.
All passenger transport has been suspended for the three-week duration of the lockdown that began on March 25. The national transporter may continue with the restrictions on scheduled passenger trains and run only special trains in the immediate post-lockdown phase, the official cited above said.
“There have been suggestions to not allow unreserved travel also as it increases the risk of monitoring travellers who might have symptoms. Trains should avoid and not stop at hotspots that fall in the red zones. In those zones it is advisable to not begin services till the situation improves. One way is to run those trains only from originating stations and terminating stations,” the official added.
The national carrier will also seek inputs from states also on resumption of services.
Even at airports and on planes the government is seeking to implement strict social distancing norms.The aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), is also preparing a standard operating procedure (SOP) to ensure social distancing among passengers and reducing contact with staff on board. This includes measures like leaving the middle seats empty.
The ministry of railways on Wednesday also issued a clarification saying railways has not issued any protocol regarding passenger travel for the post lockdown period.
