Given the large number of COVID – 19 positive cases in Hyderabad, city buses of the Telangana Road Transport Corporation will continue to remain off the roads till further notice.
This, among other issues and proposals pertaining to the implementation of social distancing and inter-district services resumption, were discussed at a review meeting chaired by Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar with TSRTC Managing Director Sunil Sharma and executive directors of the transport juggernaut.
“The most important subject was the services in Hyderabad district. It was clear at the meeting that there will be no city bus services. This is because there have been a lot of corovanirus cases here and the government is very particular about containing it,” said a source privy to the discussions at the meeting. Buses moving within districts adjacent to Hyderabad, such as Rangareddy and Medchal districts, will be allowed to ply the roads.
The meeting also deliberated upon the feasibility of resumption of inter-district services. These are likely to be operational, subject to conditions of social distancing. The discussions entailed proposals pertaining to operational procedures such as where a bus travelling from a district and entering Hyderabad district would halt. It is likely that they will stop at bus station or bus stop in the peripheral areas of the city.
With an emphasis on social distancing, their discussions touched upon reduction in passengers permitted per bus. For instance, a 48-seater will be permitted to have 22 to 24 passengers on board. Entry without masks will be barred and conductors will carry sanitisers which will be administered to passengers.
A final call on these deliberations will be taken by the Cabinet.
The TSRTC has 97 bus depots across Telangana nearly 10,000 buses, including over 2,000 hire buses. Before the lockdown, buses clocked a total of nearly 35.40 lakh km and transported 98.85 lakh passengers every day.
For the past several years, the TSRTC has been dealing with losses. With the novel coronavirus pandemic bringing bus services to a grinding halt, the corporation is staring in the face of more financial troubles.
