Chennai Covid-19 Restrictions: As infection cases in Chennai and across Tamil Nadu are spiking up every day, the government has decided to bring in measures to put the entire state in a partial lockdown, by shutting down shops after 12:00 P.M. The Southern Railways has decided that it will restrict the general public from using the Chennai Suburban trains known as MRTS.
Chennai Covid-19 Restrictions:
The travel restrictions for suburban trains commences from 04:00 A.M on May 6th and will be in effect until 12:00 A.M midnight of May 20th. Until now, the general public are allowed to use the suburban trains in Chennai apart from peak hours that is 06:30 A.M – 09:30 A.M and evening 04:00 P.M – 07:00 P.M.
Along with suburban trains, the state’s bus and other forms public transport facilities are ordered to operate only with 50% of its respective total capacities. Suburban trains will now be restricted to be used only by state and central government staffs. Women passengers apart from those in essential services and student will not be allowed to avail the trains.
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The Southern Railways that operate the suburban trains in Chennai made it clear that the decision to restrict public transport facilities to only a select category of people is not to dismiss the right to travel of other people but it is solely to contain the spread of the disease and in fact it is for the safety of those who we do not want to travel unnecessarily.
Even the reservation counters will only operate with 50% of its usual capacity and those travelers wanting to avail any reserved or unreserved tickets are encouraged to do so online rather than in the counter. Passengers who have reserved tickets will be allowed to travel in suburban trains to and from destinations, said a senior railway official.
Gyms, Parks, malls, theatres, museum and other big format stores are ordered to close down in Chennai, as in any other cities. Post 09:00 P.M, all stores and public activities are ordered to be shut down. But there is yet a pending decision to impose officially a full lockdown.
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As there is a transfer of powers to the new elected government is yet to happen, it will soon be decided whether a full lockdown is necessary to be enforced to contain the spread of the virus.
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