Strict enforcement of COVID-19 guidelines by the Belagavi district administration has led to a near-complete stoppage of all bus services between Maharashtra and Karnataka.
The police stopped buses on the border. They sent back vehicles in which passengers did not follow COVID-19 protocol, including social distancing, wearing face masks or carrying vaccination or RT-PCR negative certificates. These vehicles included some KSRTC buses.
NWKRTC officers said that most buses between Maharashtra and Nippani were stopped as the police had mandated that conductors give tickets to only those passengers who had vaccination or RT-PCR certificates. They said that even Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation buses were stopped. The police and health officers have increased vigil at the border, following the rise of case of the Delta variant strain in Maharashtra.
NWKRTC divisional controller Mahadevappa Munji said that buses to Kolhapur and Sangli districts were stopped due to restrictions placed by the Maharashtra government.
However, “we are running buses to Solapur and other areas where there are relaxations,” he said.
He said that 67 staff members tested positive for COVID-19 in the division and six of them died. “Nearly 100% of our staff have been vaccinated. We are telling passengers to remain careful while travelling. We are asking them to get a vaccination or RTPCR certificate before boarding buses,” he said.
