This story is from July 4, 2020

Buses in coastal district ignore social distancing

Buses in coastal district ignore social distancing
People travelling in a bus with utter disdain for social distancing in Mangaluru
Mangaluru: Days after the bus services were resumed in Dakshina Kannada by taking all precautionary measures issued by the government, it appears the service providers have thrown caution to the wind when the district is witnessing a spike in the number of positive cases.
Packed buses, both KSRTC and private ones, on long and interior routes are common in the district now. Private bus owners and KSRTC officials say people ignore safety norms as fewer buses are operating on all routes.

KSRTC Puttur divisional controller Nagendra told TOI they have reduced the number of buses considerably. “We were operating 560 buses from the division prior to the pandemic and lockdown. After the lockdown, we operated 230 buses for the convenience of students appearing for the SSLC examination till Friday. However, the number of buses will be reduced to 190 from Monday,” he said.
On lack of social distancing in buses, he said, “In some areas, unexpected rush makes it difficult for conductors to manage the situation. If there is a good response in any route, we can introduce more buses. However, we are helpless when sudden rush of passengers is reported in any route. In such situations, passengers pay no heed to the words of conductors and ignore social distancing.”
Dakshina Kannada Bus Owners Association president Dilraj Alva told TOI that only 30% to 40% private buses are operating in the district after the lockdown. “Most bus owners have reduced the number of buses due to the dip in their income. We had sought 50% hike in bus fare to facilitate social distancing. However, the government has sanctioned hike of 15% only which we have been demanding from 2013. Since then, the price of diesel has increased by Rs 13 per litre. Bus owners find it very difficult to operate due to increased maintenance cost and reduced income,” Alva said.
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