Mumbai: Commuters want sanitisers, masks at railway stations

One of the Health ATMs containing masks, sanitisers, etc, that has been installed at some termni, like Kalyan, Thane and LTT

The 16 lakh to 18 lakh people officially travelling on Mumbai's local trains have stressed the need for easy availability of sanitisers and masks at railway platforms and stations. "It is a fact that trains are crowded. We end up touching all handlebars, rods and seats and if one feels the need to sanitise the hands, one has to carry a sanitiser from home. The railways should keep small or pocket sanitiser bottles at its stalls, which are cheaply available for everyone. So if anyone feels the need, they can buy one," Ramsharan Kashi Dubey, an essential services worker and a regular commuter said.

"I usually carry a small sanitiser bottle worth R50 in my purse while travelling. These should be made available at the platforms because if we have to buy one, we have to step out of the station and search for a chemist," Shweta Kulkarni, another commuter said. "Masks and sanitisers should be easily made available at newspaper stalls and canteen kioks at stations once they open for general public. These are now items of necessity and a sure shot way to curb the pandemic," Peter D'Mello, another commuter said.

Railways speak
Railway officials said that as of now, stalls on railway stations/platforms have been shut, but they have devised a concept of Health ATMs, which are basically vending machines, where sanitisers and masks are available. However, these are at major junction stations and will be proliferated further as per the response they get.

"Health ATM machines have already been installed at termni like Kalyan, Thane and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. Proposals have been called for their installation at 12 more suburban stations, including Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Wadala Road, Chembur, Panvel, Dadar, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Bhandup, Mulund, Dombivli and Badlapur," CR CRPO Shivaji Sutar said.

Want vaccine for all railway staff: trade unions
Railway trade unions have sought doses of anti-COVID vaccines for employees of the national transporter, saying they played a huge role during the lockdown. They have asked the administration to prepare a list of such staffers for vaccination.

"Our employees will also be covered given the definition of frontline staff as per the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and hence there should not be two minds about providing vaccine to the railway staff as they have kept the supplies going and wheels of the nation moving," All India Railwaymen's Federation general secretary Shiv Gopal Mishra said.

"There had been many cases where the staff suffered from coronavirus while serving fellow employees and officers. Statistics of all such staff, who have suffered because of the coronavirus, is available with the administration," he said.

The federation official said they have requested the railways to ask divisional managers to prepare lists of railwaymen who should be vaccinated "in consultation with the organised labour unions". Mishra added, "There should not be any problem because of the rationing of Covaxin."