Mumbai local trains open for all: No place for those not wearing masks, says railways

BMC officials collect a fine of Rs 200 from those without a mask. File pic

There is no place on Mumbai's suburban network for the maskless was the message authorities tried to send out as local trains opened to all on Monday. The railways had put up an elaborate arrangement of security personnel to penalise the reckless and control crowd.

Helped by the Government Railway Police and Railway Police Force, civic officials fined about 850 passengers for not wearing masks. Action was taken against 261 rail users only at CSMT. Each was asked to shell out Rs 200 for not following the mandatory mask rule.

There were 3,200 GRP personnel and 800 homeguards at stations across the city, said GRP Commissioner Ravindra Sengawkar, adding that the long lockdown helped them put security aspects in place.

Senior Divisional Security Commissioner Jeetendra Srivastava told mid-day, "All officers and jawans from RPF were stationed at various stations. We have not allowed the common man to enter the railway premises before the scheduled time. Also, the common public was not given tickets before the scheduled time."

A senior GRP official said they paid special attention to avoid overcrowding at stations like Kalyan, Dombivali, Thane, Vasai, Nalasopara and Mira Road. The locals are now open to the general public before 7 am, between 12 pm and 4pm and after 9pm.