VIJAYAWADA: The Vijayawada division of the South Central Railway (SCR) has undertaken extensive measures, including equipping the Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel with thermal scanners for screening of passengers, in tune with the suggestions by the Ministry of Railways to combat the novel coronavirus.
Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) P Srinivas convened an emergency meeting with all branch officers and medical officers in the division to review the measures undertaken at field-level and discuss further plans to check COVID-19, on Friday.
Srinivas advised that the front-line and operation staff, who directly come in contact with the public, be provided protective gear and counselling in order to deal with the pandemic. Favouring work from home wherever feasible, the DRM instructed the officials to implement the staggered timings of work at administrative level. He directed the officials to instruct the field staff to avoid visiting headquarters for official work, personnel grievances, and to forward the necessary applications online.
What railways is doing
Thermal scanners provided to RPF personnel
Footmark stickers at booking and reservation counters
Regular and frequent cleaning of station premises
Regular cleaning of lifts, escalators, grab rails, hand rests and other metal surfaces with sodium hypochlorite
Concessions for elderly people withdrawn
Minimum temperatures in AC coaches set around 25°C