The government’s decision to allow fully vaccinated people to use local trains from August 15 is unlikely to benefit the relatively younger population that forms the bulk of the workforce. Of the nearly 24 lakh people who have got both doses in Mumbai, Thane and Palghar till August 1, about 10 lakh are senior citizens and thousands are homemakers. Commuter bodies said the focus should be on making the vaccines easily accessible.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced on August 8 that those who have completed 14 days after their second dose can travel on local trains from Independence Day. State data shows that 23.9 lakh people, apart from essential services and frontline workers, have been administered both the jabs in the districts of Mumbai, Thane and Palghar.