Commuter bodies beyond Kalyan — Kasara/Karjat stretch — have written to the chief minister’s office saying that partially vaccinated citizens are suffering as the MSRTC strike has put them at the mercy of private bus operators who have begun charging exorbitantly. These organisations have sought local train access for those who have taken their first vaccine shot to facilitate their daily commute to Mumbai.

“For the partially vaccinated or unvaccinated, it is very difficult to commute, especially for those who stay in the far-flung suburbs and outside the MMR where public transport options are few. The only constant there has been MSRTC buses, which have now stopped due to the strike for the last 15 days and railway services are restricted for certain commuters. There could be genuine reasons like medical complications, other reasons and it is unfair to deny them public transport,” Rajesh Ghanghav, Railway Pravasi Sanghtna said.