(New York) The mayor of New York and the state governor have each pledged action to deal with the upsurge in homelessness on the subway, documented by images that have made the rounds on social media.
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We see it entering, then leaving, a series of wagons of the same train.
In each of them, people are lying on the benches, often with things that suggest they are homeless.
“Do I have to work in this?” The driver said aloud. ” It does not make sense. ”
Other such videos, as well as a series of photos released by the New York Daily News, show similar footage.
“What’s going on in these cars is disgusting,” Governor Andrew Cuomo commented on Tuesday.
The more than 90% drop in metro ridership freed up most of the space in trains and stations, resulting in a greater presence of homeless people.
On Wednesday, the governor asked the MTA, New York’s public transportation authority, that all trains be routinely cleaned and disinfected every evening.
“It has to stop,” hammered Andrew Cuomo. “Trains need to be cleaned and the homeless need to be given the services they need. ”
The MTA has been the object, for many years, of a battle between the governor and the mayor, each passing the ball on investments.
Technically, the body is independent, but in practice it is controlled by the state, not by the city.
Acting MTA chairperson called on Mayor Bill de Blasio to act, in a column published on Monday by the New York Post.
Earlier this week, the mayor unveiled a proposal made to the MTA to close ten end-of-line stations between midnight and 5 a.m.
This would allow, according to him, a thorough cleaning and the police and the marauding teams to empty the station of any homeless people who would be there to offer them accommodation in an emergency center.
Bill de Blasio indicated that the town hall was ready to cover the additional costs. The transport authority has not yet given its official position.
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