Inter-State bus operations between Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka resumed on Wednesday after 84 days of suspension in view of the COVID-19. Passengers going to Bengaluru were being stamped ‘Home Quarantine’ at Bagepalli border check-post after collecting their personal data and phone numbers. Andhra Pradesh officials, however, did not collect any such information and those arriving at the bus stations, were being checked with thermal guns for body temperature.
While the APSRTC planned to run 58 buses from various locations in Anantapur district to four destinations in Karnataka, the actual number of buses that plied on the first day got limited to just 10 as there was no demand from the passengers. The Kurnool region, which planned operation of 20 buses for the first day, has demand for just 13 buses, said Kurnool Regional Manager T. Venkataramam.
APSRTC Anantapur Regional Manager Sumanth R. Adoni said the corporation was running only the buses in which seats were being booked online in advance or at the bus stations. As of now for Thursday too APSRTC has demand for only eight buses.
Green channel
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation operated five buses to Anantapur and Puttaparthi and those who arrived at Anantapur and Puttaparthi both by APSRTC and KSRTC buses were checked for body temperature. There was no case of high fever detected so far among those coming by these buses.
Meanwhile, the number of 600 slots per day in the Devasindhu app of Karnataka for permitting people into Karnataka got exhausted till June 25. This posed a big challenge at the Bagepalli check-post, hence the Karnataka government was contemplating creating a green channel for the APSRTC and KSRTC passengers, Mr. Sumanth said.
