The Mumbai local train services are set to open this week and the process to issue passes for travel has begun from today for those who have taken both doses of COVID-19 vaccines. The local train services are scheduled to open for fully vaccinated citizens from August 15. Those who have been fully vaccinated and are through with their 15 days of the post-jab waiting period are eligible to get QR-code based Mumbai local train travel pass.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday started with an offline verification process for fully vaccinated people and issuing monthly passes. This facility is available at 53 railway stations in Mumbai.
Chahal informed that the process will begin at 53 suburban railway stations in the BMC jurisdiction area, including stations on the Central, Western and Harbour Line.
Further, it has been informed that the desks will be functional in two consecutive sessions, 7 am to 3 pm and from 3 pm to 11 pm. The passes will be issued after verification of the vaccination status, the BMC said.
Citizens who want to purchase a pass are required to carry a hard copy of the COVID-19 vaccination final certificate and a photo ID for verification. Those eligible after verification will be allowed to travel from August 15, 2021 onwards.
A total of 358 help desks will be set up at 53 railway stations falling under the BMC's jurisdiction. Besides, help desks will be set up at 56 suburban stations falling in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (outside BMC limits) by the respective authorities. The civic body said the help desks will be operational in two consecutive sessions from 7 am to 11 pm.
"Citizens can approach the station nearest to their house for verification and should avoid crowding," BMC said. As to making the facility available online, the process of creating an app for it was going on.
The BMC also said that it has appointed nodal officers for smooth implementation of the entire process and necessary training is being given to the staff.
Mumbai Local Train QR-based Passes | Key points
- The offline process of issuing monthly season passes will continue on all seven days of the week till further orders and therefore people need not rush to the railway stations.
- If a person does not have even one of the two documents -- vaccination certificate and photo ID -- she or he will be denied entry at the railway station. The civic staff at a help desk will check the validity of the Final Vaccination Certificate (Second Dose) on the CoWin app.
- Once the verification is completed and both the documents are found to be valid, the certificate and the identification proof will be stamped in the prescribed format.
- The stamped Covid certificate will have to be presented at the ticket window to get a pass.
- Meanwhile, the BMC has warned that strict legal action will be taken if fake vaccination certificates are produced to obtain passes. Strict police action under the Epidemic Control Act / Disaster Management Act Indian Penal Code will be taken if a citizen tries to produce a fake/ bogus Covid Vaccination Certificate.
- Government employees and other essential services staff will continue to be allowed to travel by local trains, irrespective of whether they have been vaccinated.
Central Railway and Western Railway officials said the number of ticketing windows will be increased. WR spokesperson said it has opened 276 windows across the stations between Churchgate and Dahanu, whereas the CR said it will operate 341 ticket windows.
According to the BMC, so far it has administered 76,56,487 vaccine doses. As many as 19,14,771 people have received both doses.
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