City bus services resume after 6 months in Vijayawada

Vijayawada: City bus services have been resumed in Vijayawada six months after the lockdown announced by the centre. The buses will be operated in six routes from morning to evening. Adhering to COVID-19 guidelines, only one person is allowed in a seat i.e, 60 per cent of passengers will be allowed on the bus.

In another great relief, the passengers will be charged Rs 5 as a minimum fare. Regional manager Nagendra Prasad said that the buses will be operated till September 26 until further notice from the government. "Passengers are allowed into the bus after sanitizing their hands and wearing a mask is mandatory," he said adding that 100 buses are being operated to Mailavaram, Agaripalli, Vissanapeta, Pammaru, Vidyadharapuram and Mangalagiri on a trial basis.

He also added that a person will be deployed at every bus stop to check the body temperature of the passenger getting into the bus. Travelling by standing is prohibited and those above 60 years are not allowed, he added. It is also notified that concessions such as student pass and senior citizen pass will be not considered in the current situation, Prasad said.

For the last six months, many travellers who primarily depended on RTC buses faced difficulties with no city buses. These people relied on auto-rickshaws, cabs and other private transport to reach their destination.