MARGAO
The Konkan Railway Corporation has finally decided to open the footbridge connecting the Margao railway station to the Aquem side, a move which will help the motorcycle and rickshaw pilots, besides small traders, to earn their livelihood.
Following the intervention of South Goa District Collector Ajit Roy at the initiative of Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, Konkan Railway will open the footbridge for passengers from Sunday morning by putting in place Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
The Margao MLA, Salcete Mamlatdar Prataprao Gaonkar and Konkan railway senior officer Baban Ghatge and the beleaguered motorcycle, rickshaw pilots and small businessmen descended on the railway footbridge for an inspection of the ground reality before reopening it for passengers.
After the inspection, Kamat told the media that he had taken up cudgels for the small-time businessmen and pilots with the District Collector Ajit Roy as their livelihoods were at stake even after the resumption of trains on the KR route.
“The pilots and the small businessmen operating from the Aquem side of the Margao railway station had a genuine issue since they were the most hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Even though the lockdown has been lifted and some of the trains resuming its services, these people were still facing problems because of the closure of the footbridge,” he said.
The Margao MLA said the District Collector understood the grievances of these small-time self-employed people and has agreed to revoke his previous order closing the railway footbridge.
“The KR officials have been told to put additional manpower to man the footbridge and to conduct thermal scanning of passengers on the footbridge. The police have also assured to extend their cooperation to streamline the situation,” he said.
The Konkan Railway is expected to reopen the railway footbridge at the Margao railway station at 10 am on Sunday by implementing the SOPs in place.
