Move to ensure suburban train services is restricted strictly for essential workers
Mumbai: Starting from July 30 onwards, Mumbai suburban railway network will be strictly accessible only by QR code-based Electronic Pass (E-pass). This system will be implemented by the Maharashtra government to ensure that railway services are strictly restricted to essential workers like state and Central government staffers, police, health workers and bank staffers. The E-passes would be valid only for entry to stations and passengers would need valid tickets for travelling, chief secretary Sanjay Kumar announced. As per the new system, nodal officer from organisations would have to apply for E-pass for their employees.
The offices’ will have to submit details of their employees’ including their destination, date of birth, gender and even their off-days to the police department, which is coordinating this exercise. The employees will subsequently receive a username and password, that will have to be used to enter their personal details online, subsequent to which they would receive their unique QR-code. Incidentally, as of now the application procedures would be undertaken only till July 27 at the Mumbai police commissioner’s office.
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As of now, the railway services are being run at the request of the state government. Representations have been made unsuccessfully made by various bodies like Journalists association to be permitted to travel by suburban trains. A lawyer had also moved the Bombay High Court, seeking that lawyers also been allowed to travel by trains.
“As of now, generally entry to railway stations is allowed from one point from where the police officers check our identity cards before allowing us into the railway stations,” informs Sonali Gharat, a civic nurse, who uses the suburban railway network. Gharat, a resident of Palghar, who uses the suburban rail network till Borivli, every day, says that the QR system should hopefully reduce the crowd in trains and keep out the non-essential workers. She said that in her civic hospital, her department had already collected details of staffers to be collated to be sent for the railway E-pass.
