Tamil Nadu: Buses see fewer passengers as services resume

MADURAI/TRICHY: The state transport corporations on Monday resumed bus services after 68 days, albeit with low occupancy amid the virus scare. While the crew wore gloves and masks, passengers were subjected to thermal screening, made to sit a seat away from one another, and mandated to wear masks and clean hands using sanitizers.
The transport department arranged 5,659 buses in rural, urban and hill areas.
A TNSTC official in Trichy said, “Since major cities are not connected and buses are allowed to operate only within seven districts, the occupancy rate was less than 50% even during peak hours. Also, people are hesitating to step out of their homes. We expect the patronage to increase in the coming days.”
TNSTC Madurai operated more than 375 buses within Madurai district and more than 75 buses to Theni, Dindigul, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Virudhunagar districts on Monday. A higher official said “The response was not that good. Only a few routes such as Cumbum, Ramanathapuram, Dindigul and Rajapalayam witnessed decent occupancy. Only a few seats were occupied in the buses within Madurai district”, adding, “We are waiting for the day’s closure to analyse passengers’ movement thoroughly. A decision will be made on number of buses to be deployed on Tuesday.”
“The state is making efforts to introduce cashless ticketing. The QR code-based ticketing has been introduced on a trial basis in two buses on the Secretariat route. The existing fare will remain and services disrupted owing to border issues in Kanyakumari will resume from Tuesday,” transport minister M R Vijayabaskar said.
Around 150 mofussil buses connecting Thanjavur and Nagapattinam, and 180 city buses between Central bus stand, Chathiram, Woraiyur and Thillai Nagar were operated on Monday. Buses to Pudukkottai, Ariyalur and Perambalur witnessed a low occupancy rate. As Karur, Madurai, Dindigul and Salem falls in zones which cannot be connected from Trichy zone, TNSTC officials said that the passengers were dropped at the destinations near the district borders.
Social distancing and personal hygiene were enforced by the crew members jointly with local body workers supervising the bus stands. Only one passenger was allowed to sit on a two-seater in city buses. In mofussil buses, two passengers were allowed to sit on a three-seater and one on two-seaters. Mask was mandatory.
“It feels good to see social distancing and public hygiene maintained. Hope the precautionary practice in buses will sustain,” A Saravanan, a passenger at Trichy central bus stand said.
P Sivaraman, a construction labourer from Panaiyur in Madurai said, “I felt happy to travel again in a bus as in the absence of public transportation I had to often take long walks to get to construction site as pillion riding in bikes was also restricted.”
Though up to 32 passengers are allowed to travel in the mofussil buses, the fleets leave the origin point with only 20-25 passengers to ensure people at intermediate stops get to board the buses.
Trichy Corporation has appointed 20 sanitation workers to disinfect the bus stand and buses returning from other districts. Madurai corporation had thoroughly disinfected terminals such as Arapalayam, Periyar and Mattuthavani well before the service started at 5 am. Buses too were disinfected frequently. TNSTC officials added buses were assigned based on demand.