Government throws physical distancing out of the bus

PSUs, pvt operators of long-distance buses are now allowed to take passengers on all seats

If there is one place where the authorities do not want the people to follow social distancing norms, it is in inter-district and inter-state buses. The state government has allowed public service undertakings (PSUs) and private operators to take bookings for all seats of the bus, allowing strangers to occupy the seat next to you during the possible long journey. The move, introduced at a time when covid cases are increasing, has worried bus users.

When the covid caseload was low in May, operators including state-run Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), were directed to resume bus operations only during the day with a maximum of 30 passengers. Especially in long-distance buses where passengers spend more time travelling, a seat next to the passenger was kept unoccupied to ensure a safe distance between commuters. Even curtains were removed to ensure proper air circulation in the bus during the night-long journey.

With the new direction in place, both private and state-run bus operators can fill all seats including in the sleeper buses. While the state is yet to commence bus operations to Maharastra and Tamil Nadu, services are available between Karnataka and states such as Andhra Pradesh, Goa and Kerala.

Inter-district bus services, too, have returned to normal.

“We had consulted the health department before permitting to carry passengers at full capacity. Travellers have to take enough precautions such as wearing a mask and sanitizing hands while travelling. Such permission has not been given to long-distance air-conditioned buses,” Anjum Parwez, principal secretary at Transport department told Bangalore Mirror. He observed that the demand for buses, especially in BMTC, has been generally low.

The KSRTC officials said they had requested the government to run buses with full capacity as they were running under loss. “Our daily ridership is steadily going up. It now stands at around 8 lakh a day. During the pre-covid days, we catered to around 30 lakh passengers,” a senior KSRTC official said. She added that they are not allowing any passengers once all the seats are occupied.

However, not all are happy with this move. “I travelled in a KSRTC bus with a co-passenger sitting next to me from Mangaluru to Bengaluru. I had to wear the mask for nine good hours although I felt suffocated. The authorities are depriving ordinary people -- who do not have a personal vehicle - of safe travel during the pandemic. It shows the government is not doing its part to curb the spread of coronavirus,” Santhosh Kumar, a management professional, said.