The 16 lakh to 18 lakh people officially travelling on Mumbai’s local trains have stressed the need for easy availability of sanitisers and masks at railway platforms and stations. “It is a fact that trains are crowded. We end up touching all handlebars, rods and seats and if one feels the need to sanitise the hands, one has to carry a sanitiser from home. The railways should keep small or pocket sanitiser bottles at its stalls, which are cheaply available for everyone. So if anyone feels the need, they can buy one,” Ramsharan Kashi Dubey, an essential services worker and a regular commuter said.

“I usually carry a small sanitiser bottle worth R50 in my purse while travelling. These should be made available at the platforms because if we have to buy one, we have to step out of the station and search for a chemist,” Shweta Kulkarni, another commuter said. “Masks and sanitisers should be easily made available at newspaper stalls and canteen kioks at stations once they open for general public. These are now items of necessity and a sure shot way to curb the pandemic,” Peter D’Mello, another commuter said.