The Haryana government has announced to resume government transport services on selected routes in a stern adherence to social distancing guidelines issued by the Union ministry of home affairs. An official stated that the Haryana government has announced to restart public transport buses in the state from Friday in select routes to propel economic and other activities amid the third phase of the ongoing coronavirus lockdown. This will aid people stranded within the state due to lockdown.
Haryana Roadways, General Manager, Ravinder Pathak said that all the bus terminals and ordinary non-air-conditioned buses which will hit the roads have been already sanitised and seats and floor have been marked so as to maintain social distancing.
“No passenger will be allowed to board the bus if online booking has not been done. The bus services will be point-to-point on select routes and wearing masks is mandatory. Thermal screening of passengers will also be done,” Haryana transport minister, Mool Chand Sharma said.
Haryana CM stated that his government will not lower its guard and will not hesitate in imposing stricter curbs if things don’t go as planned.
He stated that the government is doing it on “experimental basis” with a limited number of buses in selected routes. State roadways department stated that complete staff has been called.
For ensuring the stern adherence to social distancing, only 30 passengers will be allowed to board the 52-seater buses. Also in the bus terminuses, passengers will have to adhere to social distancing in the waiting area, Sharma stated.
The buses will run from depots in Ambala, Bhiwani, Hisar, Kaithal, Karnal, Narnaul, Panchkula, Rewari, Rohtak and Sirsa and run on selected point-to-point routes.
Meanwhile, a government spokesman stated that the buses, which will run within Haryana, will not be started in areas acutely impacted by a coronavirus.
He mentioned that bookings for these buses can only be done through the online portal www.hartrans.gov.in.
“The buses will ply from the Haryana State Transport bus stands to the scheduled bus stands. No passenger will be allowed to board or disembark the bus on the way,” he added. He said in a statement that the buses plying through worst-hit COVID-19 affected districts will pass through a bypass or flyovers. The worst-affected districts in Haryana are Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonipat and Jhajjar.
He stated that if due to any reason the bus movement is not possible on any route then passengers will be notified two hours before the scheduled time of departure. The fare paid by the passenger will be refunded, he added.
