Green signal for city buses in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation is all set to resume city bus services from June 8.

Transport Minister P Ajay Kumar held a meeting with the officials at Bus Bhavan on Wednesday and asked the RTC authorities to be ready for operating the buses. It was decided that no buses will be operated in containment zones. In other areas, it will be regulated operations following the Covid-19 protocols in a strict manner.

However, bus users are likely to have a new experience in the post lockdown situation. They will have to forget their old habits of hanging on to the foot board, get down or get into the bus at their convenience, including at signals, fall on each other, indulge in pushing and jostling with other passengers.

It is learnt that in all probability, the buses would run from point to point (as reported in these columns recently). In order to ensure that social distancing is maintained, only 35 to 40 passengers per bus will be permitted. They may have to book tickets in advance online and opt for digital payment.

All the buses would be sanitised before they leave the bus depots and again after they go back to the depot. Hand sanitisers will be provided at the starting point and the passengers will be subjected to thermal screening. Seats will be marked and only one passenger will be allowed to occupy it. No standing passengers will be allowed and no one will be permitted to board a bus at any other point en-route.

The drivers too will be subjected to thermal screening. Hand sanitisers will also be made available in the buses.