MUMBAI: International passengers who have to undergo the mandatory a week-long institutional quarantine in Mumbai can now opt to travel from the airport to the hotel concerned in a private car.
Till now, such passengers had no option but to travel on BEST buses. On arrival, the passenger choses from a list of hotels and boards the BEST bus from the airport. As the BEST bus goes about dropping passengers at their respective quarantine centres, the ones dropped last end up spending a long time in the bus. Following complaints and requests from passengers, the BMC on Thursday allowed transportation by private vehicles as well.
The passengers have to give an undertaking that they will report and check in at their respective quarantine centre, said the order passed by P Velrasu, additional municipal commissioner. Action will be intiated under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and Disaster Management Act, 2005 on passengers who skip the institutional quarantine, said the order adding that all assistant commisioners concerned will verify whether the passengers had checked in at their centres.
Passengers, bound for Mumbai, arriving from Europe, UK, Middle East and South Africa have to undergo seven days of institutional quarantine, as per an order passed by the state government on December 23, 2020.