Adilabad: Covid norms go for a toss on buses

Adilabad: While Covid 19 is spreading at an alarming rate across the country, government has given relaxation the norms such as travelling in buses and other vehicles.

In such situation officials are clarifying that people should protect their lives, but commuters on buses not following any restrictions.

In view of the spread of corona virus the state and central governments have issued orders to follow safety measures on the buses, but it s not implementing at the ground level. Some bus depots are nominally following the guidelines and some are taking them easy.

In erstwhile Adilabad region, 14 Rajadhani, 74 Superluxury, 16 Palle-velugu, 48 express a total 625 buses are running now and 1,135 conductors and 926 drivers are working in the joint district, Adilabad, Mancherial, Nirmal and Kumram Bheem Asifabad districts.

Buses are sanitized with disinfection spray (sodium Hypochlorite) every day not after every trip as ordered by the government. Officials are claiming that it s not possible to sanitize the buses after every trip due to lack of man power.

Government issued orders to make sanitizers available to passenger and the conductor, drivers were instructed to wear masks and hand gloves and circles were drawn to maintain social distance while boarding the bus and flexes and banners were set up to educate the passengers about Covid 19, but these instructions are not followed anywhere.

RTC Regional Manager D Vijaya Bhaskar said that at present 625 buses are running in the Adilabad, Mancherial, Nirmal and Kumram Bheem Asifabad districts.

Every day about one lakh passengers are reaching their destinations. They are provided hand sanitizers to drivers and conductors, in all six depots Adilabd, Utnoor, Mancherial, Nirmal, Bhainsa and Asifabad.

He said people should follow the Covid 19 guideline, on their own as a social responsibility and maintain social distancing.