After the Central Government indicated that the 21-day national lockdown would not be extended beyond the stipulated 14 April final date, the Indian Railways and some private airlines have decided to open ticket bookings from 15 April onwards, reports say.
The news emerged barely a day after Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba denied media reports claiming that the government will extend the nationwide lockdown.
However, there has been no official announcement received from the government yet.
Tickets Being Booked at Brisk Pace
On Monday, 30 March, the Cabinet Secretary said that any reports of the extension of the lockdown were baseless, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting tweeted.
“Since there is a clear indication from the Centre that the lockdown will not be extended beyond 14 April, bookings have begun,” Pradeep Sharma, PRO of Ahmedabad division of Western Railways, said to BusinessLine.
Dainik Jagran reported that railway tickets were being booked at a brisk pace, with few seats left on some routes, and waiting list reached in a few highly popular ones.
BusinessLine also reported that private airlines like SpiceJet, Indigo and GoAir have also started online bookings from 15 April onwards, only for domestic travel, and tour operators have also started operations.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)