Dahanu-based passenger body writes to state government seeking nod to travel in luggage compartments amid high costs of transporting perishables via road
Vendors of perishable goods, such as fisherfolk, say they have been having a hard time transporting their goods through road transport
A passenger body from Dahanu has written to the Maharashtra government and Members of the Legislative Assembly to allow food traders like vegetable vendors, fishermen and dairymen onboard luggage compartments of local trains in a staggered manner.
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"There has been a lot of financial pressure on people due to the ongoing pandemic, but vegetable sellers, milkmen, fish vendors who survive on daily earnings are the worst affected. Their livelihood depends on the transportation of goods to Mumbai from Vaitarna and Dahanu daily. With no trains for common people, travelling quickly via road has become expensive and time-consuming considering the goods are perishable," said Prathamesh Prabhutendolkar, joint secretary, Dahanu Vaitarna Pravasi
Sevabhavi Sanstha.
"Letting such itinerant sellers on trains during non-peak hours would be cost-effective and enable the supply of fresh goods to buyers, making it a win-win situation," he added.
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New categories of passengers are permitted on local trains as per recommendations of the State. "There has been no communication about this from the government as yet," a railway official said.
Maharashtra government officials said they were monitoring the situation and any decision regarding local trains would be taken depending on the COVID-19 numbers, adding that the state needed to stay more alert than ever now.
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