Lax enforcement: Not many takers for masks in trains

Lax enforcement: Not many takers for masks in trains

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:01.02.2021

Train passengers do not wear masks at railway stations and inside express trains, including air-conditioned coaches, putting at risk the lives of fellow travells in trains.

Many do not carry a mask with them while a few others who board trains with masks remove it soon after they are seated. Though experts have stressed that wearing a mask is important and crucial in overcoming the pandemic, railway officials are lax in enforcing norms.

A railway official said that people were cautious at least in AC coaches soon after services resumed after the lockdown but now behave as if the situation is back to normal.

“On Sunday, many people who travelled by Kollam-Chennai train in its AC coaches were not wearing masks. Peoplewhowerewaiting atthestations were without masks. A few who had masks removed as soon as they settled down on their seats or berths.

The railway staff were wearing masks but they were not enforcing the mask rule on passengers."

Chennai resident Rakesh Kumar*, who was on the train, said, “It looks like people are lowering their guard. People were spotted without masks at most of the stations and the few who had the masks removed them as soon as they boarded the train. I got scared when people sneezed and coughed, that too without masks.”

Kumar saidthattherewere RPF personnel on the train who did not bother to check if people were following the rule.

A senior railway official said that they are taking action when there is a complaint. “We insist that there should be masks. All railway staff wear masks. If people complain that those who are in the nearby berth are not wearing masks, we crackdown on such elements.”

COSTLY ERROR: Passengers, many of them without masks, waiting to board their train at Chennai Egmore railway station