In the wake of Covid-19 outbreak, the Central Railway has launched a UV light-based luggage sanitisation facility for passengers at a few major stations, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai, officials said on Tuesday.
As part of the facility started recently, the luggage is passed through a machine or chamber, in which the ultraviolet (UV) light is beamed from all directions, to make the outer surface of the luggage free of all types of viruses, bacteria and germs, they said.
After the sanitisation process in the specially designed chamber, the luggage is handed over to passengers with a sticker certifying it 'disinfected'.
Thereafter, passengers can also get their luggage properly wrapped, if they wish so, by paying the fixed charges, the officials said.
"The UV light-based sanitisation facility is provided at an affordable rate and charges are determined on the basis of size of the baggage," Central Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer Shivaji Sutar said.
For luggages weighing 10 kg, 25 kg and more than 25 kg, the sanitisation charges are Rs 10, Rs 15 and Rs 20, while wrapping charges are Rs 60, Rs 70 and Rs 80, respectively, Sutar said.
Passengers can avail this facility at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Mumbai as well as Kalyan station in neighbouring Thane district, another official said.
The Central Railway (CR) also has plans to make this facility available at Dadar in Mumbai and at Thane and Panvel stations, he said.
The initiative is part of the Non-Fare Revenue Ideas Scheme, under which the Railways has signed an agreement with private enterprises to provide this facility, the official said.
Till Monday, Mumbai reported 2,76,507 Covid-19 cases and 10,687 deaths due to the disease, as per official figures.