Railway and BEST bus services were normal and crowds were comparatively much less than usual during the day, but some passengers claimed stations in the far-flung suburbs were crowded
Few people were seen at CSMT on Thursday
The first day of the new restrictions on public transport saw smooth sailing on Thursday. Through railway and BEST bus services were normal and there were random checks outside railway stations, crowds were comparatively much less than every day, though they increased in the evening.
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‘Crowds as usual’
There was significant crowding as usual in the evening rush hour, as the government has failed to stagger timings of its own offices. “Crowds were there as usual at many stations, though the intensity was less. If you want to see the real crowds, come down to stations like Virar, Nallasopara, Mira Road and Boisar,” said a passenger, Abhijit Rawale.
He said this did not look like a strict lockdown as public transport was still on. He alleged that many commuters on local trains have fake ID cards of essential services.
A picture of a crowded train tweeted by commuter Ashish Rathi asking the CM where were the restrictions
Commuter Ashish Rathi tweeted a picture of a crowded train questioning the chief minister, where were the restrictions.
“There were hurdles on the road as there was checking on the streets by the city police. Those who managed to reach the station travelled. I was at Kalyan station and there were not many checks, but crowds were less, and I managed to reach Mumbai CSMT as usual,” said Ravinder Paskar, an employee of the BMC.
At Mumbai CSMT, the government railway police had restricted entry during rush hours and passengers had to form a queue to get their IDs checked for some time. No special pass or codes had been issued, but just a display of the regular authentic essential worker card was sufficient for entry.
Railways awaits guidelines
Railway officials said they were awaiting further guidelines from the Maharashtra government and did not want to inconvenience anyone unnecessarily, as essential workers and exceptions were allowed. Ticket checking, however, was random at stations and inside trains. Officials said they did not want to create unnecessary panic as it had happened last time.
Buses too remained occupied, but there was stress on no standees and with fewer crowds, things remained more or less in control in the morning, but crowds escalated in the evening.
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