Long waiting list for trains pushes migrants from Maharashtra to take to road on bicycles

Despite the government's initiatives of plying special trains and buses to transport stranded people, several migrant workers from Maharashtra were on Saturday seen heading towards their native villages in other states on bicycles.

When asked, some of the workers said that they decided to travel on bicycles as the waiting list for government transportation was too long.

"We want to reach our homes. We had applied on the portal for a train but it is still in waiting," said a worker on his way to Basti, Uttar Pradesh.

With few transportation options available, thousands of people, mostly migrant labourers have resorted to walking towards their hometowns during the lockdown.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on May 1, issued an order to extend the ongoing lockdown by two more weeks from May 4 and also allowed the movement of migrant workers, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places, by special trains.

State governments have also been arraging buses to transport stranded people to their destinations.

( With inputs from ANI )