Coronavirus outbreak: Locals to run, Rlys cancel long-distance trains

There were fewer people using public transport in the city a day after the state announced a partial shutdown. The Central and Western Railway on Tuesday announced

There were fewer people using public transport in the city a day after the state announced a partial shutdown. The Central and Western Railway on Tuesday announced cancellation of 33 outstation trains as part of its preventive measures against the spread of the coronavirus along with low occupancy.

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Among the measures announced on Tuesday is the cancellation of 23 outstation trains on the Central Railway (CR) network and 10 on the Western Railway (WR) network. These 33 outstation trains include the Rajdhani Express operating from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT); the Howrah Duronto Express; Pragati Express and Deccan Express operating to and from Pune; the Indore Duronto Express, Jamnagar Duronto express and the Duronto Express to New Delhi. The trains remain cancelled till March 30.

Also, the price of a platform ticket on CR railway stations has been increased from ₹10 to ₹ 50. The same price increase – ₹10 to ₹ 50 – will apply to Churchgate, Malad, Mumbai Central, Dadar, Goregaon, Nalasopara, Andheri, Bandra and Vasai Road railway stations on the WR network. This has been done to discourage people from crowding platforms when coming to drop or pick up travellers.

Both CR and WR said local train services saw fewer footfalls on Tuesday than the daily average of 44 lakh commuters. Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd (MMOPL), which operates the Metro between Ghatkopar and Versova railway stations, reported a drop of 5% in ridership in this week. Of the 4.5 lakh passengers who use metro services on weekdays, the metro witnessed a dip of 25,000 passengers.

Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) buses in the city also saw fewer passengers. On an average, 30 lakh passengers travel on BEST buses daily, but on Monday, 28 lakh passengers used bus services. “The board examinations of students have got over and they are also commuters of BEST buses. The government has announced work from home. That is also a reason for the reduction in passengers,” said a senior BEST official.

On Tuesday, CR also started voluntary screening of passengers at major railway termini including CSMT, Thane, Dadar and Kalyan from Tuesday. It also launched a drive against littering and spitting at railway stations.

CR and WR have been asked to monitor crowded areas on railway platforms. The monitoring is being done in order to check overcrowding and to have an immediate movement of passengers. Ticket checkers have been told to maintain their distance while checking tickets in both outstation and local trains as well as on railway stations.

Additionally, deep cleaning and disinfection of local trains, BEST buses and app-based cabs has also been ordered and is being undertaken by the concerned authorities. MMOPL will undertake deep cleaning of the Metro during non-business hours with hydrogen peroxide solution. Toilets will be fumigated and trains will be cleaned twice while in operation and off-duty.

Staffers who come in close contact with commuters have been asked to wear masks. “The staff has been asked to clean their hands with soap water every hour and they have also been told not to report to work if they are unwell,” said MMOPL’s spokesperson.

App-based cabs said extra precautions were being taken and cab aggregator Uber said it had formed a “dedicated team”. “We are always working to help ensure the safety of our employees and everyone on the Uber platform, and we continue to be concerned by the ongoing spread of the coronavirus,” said an Uber spokesperson.

With inputs from Tanushree Venkatraman