Bangladesh Railway has decided to run trains at half of their capacities from January 15 to check the spread of Omicron variant.
However, this time the number of trains will not decrease.
The decision was taken at a meeting of senior officials of the railway on Tuesday where Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan was present.
According to railway sources, train tickets will be sold equally online and at the counter. Of 50 per cent tickets, 25 per cent will be sold online (app or online) and 25 per cent tickets will be available at the station counter.
From Wednesday, tickets for January 15 will be sold online and at the counter.
The Bangladesh Railway also brought some changes in issuing and booking tickets.
The changes are:
· Issuance of tickets for inter-city trains at half of their capacities for ensuring social distancing
· 25% tickets of the total seats will be issued from ticket counters while the rest 25% through online
· Issuance of standing tickets from platforms will remain suspended
· All the existing quotas for railway staff except the emergency ones will remain suspended until further notice
· Ensuring the use of masks by all passengers while issuing tickets and travelling
· Catering services and supplying of bedding services will continue subject to following health guidelines strictly.
On Monday, the government has imposed restrictions on public movement and other activities like operating public transport at their half capacities amid the growing concern over the new Omicron variant of Coronavirus.
