Bengaluru: As there are limited number of buses running on roads in the state due to the indefinite strike by transport employees, social distancing is not being followed.
Even though the travel department has allowed private buses, taxicabs and others to function even without permits, many commuters complain that they do not check the availability of seats. Private bus staff do not ensure the mandatory mask rule, and are not concerned about social distancing in buses.
They passengers also said that they are not sure if the passenger interface areas like side handles, seats and windows of buses are being sanitised regularly.
Milana Neela tweeted, “Private buses are crowded. Social distancing doesn’t work inside these buses. It’s disappointing to see the state leadership choosing to be ignorant. Pay the KSRTC-BMTC workers now and consider following the 50% occupancy rule.”
Transport department officials stated that they are helpless. An official said, “We are in a catch-22 situation. If we take action against private operators, they won’t run buses. It will inconvenience the public, so we can only advise them for now.” He added that no complains have been registered against private buses for carrying extra passengers or charging extra fare.
As the transport department is conducting inspections only at najor stations, private bus operators are picking commuters from places like KR Puram. They express that they are not getting any profit from these services. A private bus operator on Majestic-Yelahanka route said, “We are not in a position to operate empty buses like BMTC for city services. We are running buses only because the transport department asked us to. Inter-city services are profitable. We cannot operate with 50% capacity since it won’t be enough for fuel expenses.”
There are many commuters who fear that strike may lead to an increase in the number of Covid cases. Anita S, a passenger at Majestic said, “It’s been nearly 10 days since the transport strike started but most private operators are not following social-distancing norms. They say they’ll be under loss if they don’t carry excess passengers. The government should take steps to end the strike, otherwise the number of covid cases will rise.”
According to the sources, the situation in the outskirts of the city is worst as buses are usually filled with passengers commuting to work. There are also complaints from the passengers that they have to wait for long hours at bus stops.
Helath experts are of the view that commuters travelling in packed buses can easily catch Covid-19 symptoms. Karnataka’s Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee stated that transport vehicles should not take in more than the prescribed capacity and must follow Covid protocols.
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