Transport activists say state needs to have better checks for interstate ferrying to avoid COVID spread and accidents
The Maharashtra transport department said they had now begun an extensive crackdown
While a large amount of migrant movement is currently underway in and out of Maharashtra, not all the people are being screened. Also, the transport has led to some dangerous accidents, alleged transport activists and politicians.
Sources claimed that it is also becoming increasingly difficult to screen everyone entering the state, with the limited staff and a sudden surge of people. The Maharashtra transport department on Thursday said they had now put checks in place.
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"Dangerous travel rampantly going on along highways needs to stop immediately. It is not just risking lives of people on the move, but also of the residents of the place where they end up coming as they could be COVID-19 carriers. This aspect needs to be checked as soon as possible to control the spread further," a transport forum activist said.
The city's borders are no different. "I have encountered a migrant family that started from Ghatkopar, walking all the way to Gorakhpur with women and kids in tow. These people were desperate to leave because they said they had no food, no ration and no transport despite filling up forms even after waiting for two months. The Maharashtra government needs to roll up its sleeves," MLA from Mulund, Mihir Kotecha, said.
The Maharashtra transport department said they have begun an extensive crackdown.
"Over the past few weeks, there has been a large amount of migrant movement on vehicles that are travelling both ways, entering Maharashtra and leaving the state. They have been ferrying people illegally with all kinds of modifications to vehicles to maximise the load. We have now stepped up the campaign on dual mode — one is arranging more buses and second is taking action against such illegal transport. We have 65 flying squads in place and their earlier task was to check the documentation of vehicles etc, but now the focus is to address this issue," Maharashtra transport commissioner Shekhar Channe said. He added that directives have been issued to seize all such vehicles on the move, fining them and arranging public transport buses for all such migrants who had been found travelling in them.
"We are also counselling them to travel safely and not risk lives unnecessarily. Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses have been pressed into service for all such migrants," Channe, who is also holding charge as vice-chairman and managing director of MSRTC.
Medical teams at check-posts
Over screening of migrants, Channe said they had been coordinating with the health department and now every check-post had made space for medical teams and screening facilities.
He said the department had been appealing to migrants to take proper public transport buses now that they are available. As of Thursday evening, 1, 00624 migrants have been transported in 7,227 MSRTC buses from various spots.
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