Mumbai: For fully vaccinated, train passes to be issued from August 11

The process to issue passes for travel by local trains in the Mumbai region for those who have taken both doses of Covid-19 vaccines will begin at railway stations from Wednesday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

The passes will be issued after verification of the vaccination status, the BMC said in a release on Tuesday. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday announced that any person who has completed 14 days after getting the second dose of coronavirus vaccines will be allowed to board suburban trains from August 15. The BMC release said those who want to purchase a pass are required to carry a hard copy of 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," the release said, adding 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, it said. 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," it said. The BMC warned that strict legal action will be taken if fake vaccination certificates are produced to obtain passes. As to making the facility available online, the process of creating an app for it was going on, the BMC said. "The process of making this facility available online is underway. But it may take a little more time," it said.

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. "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," the civic body said. 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, it added.

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 BMC said. The stamped Covid certificate will have to be presented at the ticket window to get a pass. "Strict police action under the Epidemic Control Act / Disaster Management Act Indian Penal Code, will be taken if a citizen tries to produce lake/ bogus Cavid Vaccination Certificate," it warned.

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.