The Maharashtra government has decided to issue single journey daily tickets for local trains in Mumbai.
Late on October 30, the State Disaster Management Authority sent a letter to Western and Central Railways directing them to issue all kinds of tickets, including daily ones, which were earlier not allowed.
However, the daily tickets will be issued to only those who have been fully vaccinated, the state government order read. Currently, owing to Covid-19 protocols, the state government is only issuing passes to those who have got two shots of a vaccine and have completed 14 days since their second dose.
On October 27, the state government had directed the railways to issue only monthly or other passes since workers under essential services and government personnel was allowed to travel in trains irrespective of their vaccination status. They were allowed to buy daily single or return journey tickets as well.
The Central and Western Railways will soon issue directions to all ticketing centers. Chief Public Relation Officer (Western Railway), Sumit Thakur, said that they will start issuing the daily tickets from today itself. The CPRO of Central Railway was not available for comment.
The decision was taken after the Railways noticed that a lot of people were traveling without tickets. “Thus, it has been decided to permit all citizens who have been fully vaccinated as per the definition of the state government to travel in local trains. As one-time ticketing was allowed on long-distance passenger trains before too, this relaxation means that all fully vaccinated citizens may travel in local and passenger trains on all routes, through all kinds of tickets issued including daily ticketing. Being fully vaccinated would be the only mandatory condition for issuance of any kinds of tickets for travel in trains,” the order read.
From August 11, the Railways had started issuing passes to passengers who are fully vaccinated.
