By IANS,
Mumbai : Over seven million commuters, including office-goers and students, were severely hit Tuesday, the second day of the ongoing agitation by motormen manning Mumbai’s crucial suburban trains.
The agitation by over 600 motormen on the Western Railway (WR) and Central Railway (CR), compelled the railways to issue a rare advisory Tuesday morning.
“People may undertake (train) journey only if it’s very important,” said a bulk SMS with a helpline No. 10721 to assist stranded commuters.
The motormen have been on a hunger strike since 6 a.m. Monday and are demanding a pay hike among other things. Their strike led to complete chaos in the city during the evening peak hour traffic Monday.
Sensing the critical situation, a grim Chief Minister Ashok Chavan indicated that he would take up the commuters’ matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
While hundreds of commuters managed to reach their homes late Monday, the situation was worse Tuesday morning with the railways announcing the cancellation of nearly 80 percent of the total 2,000 daily services.
The railways resorted to desperate – but insufficient – measures like permitting people to travel in long-distance trains and making them halt at all suburban stations.
The railways are also making alternative arrangements to grapple with the agitation, considered the worst in Mumbai since 1974.
The BEST and MSRTC chipped in to help the stranded commuters by deploying additional services in the city and elsewhere.
Mumbai University announced that any student who was delayed for the 40-odd final examinations need not panic, they would be permitted extra time to write their papers.
The motormen’s agitation has had a cascading effect on Mumbai’s roads and highways which have been plagued by ugly traffic snarls since Monday night.
In fact, the railway agitation managed to overshadow the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case, in which the verdict pronouncing Pakistani national Mohammed Ajmal Amir alias Kasab guilty was delivered Monday.