Mumbai, Dec 10 (PTI) A decision about permitting the general public to travel by suburban local trains in Mumbai will be taken after New year celebrations are over, Mumbai municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said on Thursday.

He was speaking to reporters after meeting actor Anupam Kher at the headquarters of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

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The number of new coronavirus patients in the city is decreasing day by day, Chahal said, adding that the number of asymptomatic new patients is high now.

In view of this, a decision about allowing common people to travel on suburban locals will be taken after Christmas and New Year celebrations, he said.

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Currently, only certain categories of persons including those working for essential services are allowed to travel by local trains, Mumbai's lifeline.

The municipal commissioner also expressed concerns about a large number of people in the city not wearing masks.

If the people did not follow safety protocol for coronavirus, the administration will have to impose a night curfew, Chahal warned.

Kher visited the BMC headquarters to gift a book penned by him, "Your Best Day is Today", which is based on his experiences during lockdown, to the commissioner.

The book has a chapter on the efforts taken by the BMC to tackle the pandemic. PTIKK

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)