Station Masters urge stricter measures-By Buddhika Samaraweera

Source:Ceylontoday

The transportation of passengers by trains contrary to instructions given by the Health and Security authorities may lead to another COVID-19 cluster, the Sri Lanka Station Masters’ Union (SLSMU) pointed out.

President of the SLSMU, Sumedha Somaratne said the steps taken thus far to ensure the health of train passengers are wholly insufficient. He said passengers would only put a scrap of paper with their name, address, telephone number and national identity card number in a box at the railway station, get tickets and board the train.

He made these comments during a Media briefing held at the SLSMU office in Maradana on 9 November.

“Sanitation should be provided at the railway stations and passenger information must be collected accurately. The Government has announced in a Gazette Notification that only less than 75 per cent of passengers should travel in a train compartment. It is not possible to count the number of passengers according to the present arrangements of the Railway Department. This is not a practical way to get the exact information of the passengers,” he added.

The SLSMU Members also contributed that the system of issuing train tickets through the Internet, which was implemented at the time of the first wave of COVID-19, was no longer in operation. They also pointed out, through that system, passenger information was systematically stored. “However, under the current programme, passengers will travel on the train as they wish. It is not possible to be certain whether they maintain the social distancing of one metre.  If this system is not changed and safe methods introduced and followed in the coming days, all passengers on the train will have to be quarantined in case, a single infected patient is reported as having travelled in that train,” Somaratne added.

He said, the efforts of the President, the Security Forces and the Health sector to prevent the spread of COVID-19 would be in vain if the Railway authorities did not follow the online system to issue tickets, which was introduced by the Station Masters.

Meanwhile, Union Secretary Kasun Chamara told Ceylon Today that although the number of passengers travelling by train was low during these days, the number of passengers could increase in the coming week and therefore, a proper plan should be drawn up to collect passenger information, as the increase of passengers could increase the risk of the spread of 

COVID-19.