Mumbai: Three documents must be carried during train travel

Mumbai: Mumbaikar’s looking to travel by local trains can begin the screening process at stations from today. They will have to approach the help desk at stations with a hard copy of their vaccination certificate along with the original and a photocopy of their ID proof.

Once the help desk verifies the vaccination status, the vaccine certificate and the photocopy of the ID will be stamped. These will have to be furnished while buying a monthly season ticket from the booking counter. “Travelers are to carry all three documents—monthly pass, stamped vaccination certificate and photo ID copy while travelling,” said an official.

“This offline process of issuing monthly season passes will continue on all seven days of the week till further orders and therefore citizens need not rush to the railway stations,”

BMC

commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said. “The government is starting trains due to the hardships faced by the working class in reaching their workplace. The idea behind giving only monthly passes is to discourage people who want to undertake unnecessary travel,” said a senior official.

There are nearly 24 lakh people from MMR who are fully vaccinated as on Monday, but less than 20 lakh would have completed 14 days to be eligible for travel. Besides, a large number of them are healthcare workers and frontline workers who are already travelling.

“There will be a monthly review by the state regarding the number of cases reported since the start of the service and a periodic decision to continue with issuing of monthly passes again will be taken based on the Covid-19 situation,” said a senior official. The portal which is being put together and linked to CoWin for verification will require a few more days to be functional.

Officials said the

SOP

has been laid down only for the general public. Other categories who are already allowed to board local trains like healthcare workers, government staff and frontline workers can continue to travel as per procedure, using their ID cards, and can get tickets daily as well.

The government expects all passengers entering railway premises to be screened for relevant documents at least till August 31, after which police may switch to random checks. Checks outside the station will be done by state police and government railway police and on railway premises by railway staff. “Assistance from local police will be sought for a few days till the process is streamlined,” said an official.

(With inputs by Manthan K Mehta)