Tuesday, January 11, 2022

‘Allow train travel even if cases rise’

 ‘Allow train travel even if cases rise’


Ayyappan.V@timesgroup.com

11.01.2022

Chennai: Suburban commuters are a worried lot as they fear the railways may bring in further restrictions and convert trains into workmen specials if cases continue to spike.

A forum of suburban commuters has appealed to the railway authorities to allow employees of private firms to travel in trains if they show a letter from their employers.

More than four lakh commuters use the suburban trains in the city. Railways have tightened rules to ensure that people use masks at stations and on trains all the time.

After vaccine certificates were made compulsory, commuters had appealed to the DRM not to bring in further restrictions. They said that barring commuters from using suburban trains had led to job losses when the pandemic began in 2020.

K Baskar, a frequent commuter, said, “We have appealed to the railways to not bring back the workmen special because suburban services are the mainstay for several people who commute for work to the city. ”

The forum of suburban commuters has also requested the railways to not bar people from using trains even if Covid-19 cases are high, he added.

Suburban trains are the mainstay for people who travel for work in industrial estates at Guindy, Ambattur, Kakkalur and others. Most firms in these estates get their employees from Arakkonam, Tiruvalangadu, Tiruvallur and other areas.

“Many people were forced to travel by motorcycles all the way to the city during the first wave to save their jobs. That should not be the case this time if the government is going to declare a shutdown,”Jayapaul, a frequent commuter said.

A railway official said that the restrictions are being imposed on suburban services to ensure people can travel safely. Further decisions will be taken based on instructions from the railway board.

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