Change all office timings to suit travel slots: Maharashtra Government

Local trains seen at the Kandivli car shed on Friday. Pic/Satej Shinde

After months of closure and then restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said on Twitter on Friday that the Maharashtra government had proposed to resume local train services for all Mumbai commuters. "My dear Mumbai citizens, for the convenience of all of you, the Mumbai local train will be started from February 1," Goyal said. There are, however, time slots for the general public, which the state government said are necessary because of prevailing health concerns.

The government has urged to understand the situation till normalcy is reached. File pic

The general public will have to adhere to the following time slots - from the start of the day's service to 7 am, from 12 pm to 4 pm and from 9 pm to the end of the day. The move comes as a relief for lakhs of residents of Mumbai and its surrounding cities. As per the instructions of Maharashtra government, between 7 am and 12 pm and from 4 pm to 9 pm, only those engaged in essential services will be allowed to travel, the railway minister said.

State asks for cooperation
Commuters who aren't part of the essential workforce and allowed to travel in trains now may be upset as they can't board peak-hour trains, but the government has clarified that the decision was taken due to health concerns. The government has suggested that a solution could be to change office timings to suit the time slots approved for the non-essential workforce.

A statement from the Chief Minister's Office said that the state's chief secretary has urged establishments in the city and suburbs to alter their working hours. "The arrangement will avoid inconvenience and prevent crowding. It will also ensure that the pandemic rules are followed," said a statement. Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar said that people should understand the situation till normalcy is reached. "This is a safe beginning. We expect commuters to cooperate," he said.

1 am deadline for restaurants
In a decision that will help late-night travellers, restaurants can remain open till 1 am. However, there is further change in other guidelines for eateries and restaurants in the city. Shops and establishments will close at 11 pm.

Inputs from Agencies

March
Month in 2020 when local trains had been suspended