Mumbai local trains update: BMC says this on lifting timing restrictions for general public

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government had, on February 2, resumed local train services in Mumbai for the general public. However, now, as the city is witnessing a sudden rise in coronavirus cases for the past few days, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has said that a final call on whether or not to lift the travel time restrictions in local trains for the general public will be taken after February 20. 

India Today quoted, Suresh Kakani, BMC Additional Municipal Commissioner, as saying that the increase in the number of coronavirus cases has forced them to not lift the restrictions soon. 

Kakani said, "Generally, we had thought of keeping a fourteen-day tab on the figures before a decision could be taken but now since we are witnessing a rise in cases it has been decided that a three weeks' time from the day local services started for the general public will be looked at before a decision on easing restrictions can be taken. So, we will review the situation on 20 or 21 February." 

Reports state that the decision about local trains was taken in the weekly meeting which was attended by health officials and representatives of the state government.

It was in January last week that Western Railway had decided to start all its suburban services by increasing existing 1201 special services to 1367 w.e.f. January 29, 2021.

For the uninformed, the local train services in Mumbai region returned to full services for the general public from February 2 after a gap of 10 months. Before the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, as many as 80 lakh passengers used the local train services in Mumbai.