This story is from October 31, 2020

Buses set to run with full seating capacity in Delhi

Inter-state bus terminals (ISBTs) in the capital are likely to reopen from next week. The present cap of 20 passengers in public transport buses is also likely to be relaxed to allow buses to run with full seating capacity.
Buses set to run with full seating capacity in Delhi
Random thermal screening of passengers at a bus stop near Rajghat
NEW DELHI: Inter-state bus terminals (ISBTs) in the capital are likely to reopen from next week. The present cap of 20 passengers in public transport buses is also likely to be relaxed to allow buses to run with full seating capacity.
Sources in Delhi government said that lieutenant governor Anil Baijal, the chairman of Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), has approved the proposal to allow buses to run with full seating capacity.
DDMA has already allowed ISBTs to reopen and the standard operating procedure for resumption of services is expected to be finalised on Saturday.
In a recent meeting of the DDMA, transport minister Kailash Gahlot had said that the restrictions on the number of passengers allowed in public transport buses should be reviewed. At present, only 20 passengers are allowed in each bus at any given time to ensure social distancing, leading to crowds at bus stops during peak hours and long waiting periods for commuters.
Delhi government had proposed allowing buses to operate at full seating capacity, but no standing passengers. AC buses in Delhi can seat 35 passengers and non-AC buses that have a bigger seating capacity of 41 people.
“We had increased the number of bus trips to help provide transportation to as many commuters as possible but with the cap of 20 passengers, there would naturally be a shortage when the combined Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and Cluster Scheme fleet is just 6,598 buses on roads,” a Delhi government official said. “Running more trips with fewer passengers is also resulting in revenue loss as it is difficult to even recover the operational cost,” he said.

The three ISBTs of Delhi, located at Kashmere Gate, Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan, which are likely to reopen next week, have been closed for seven months. The closure of the terminals had resulted in a spike in the number of private buses ferrying passengers illegally, despite regular crackdowns by the transport department.
When the ISBTs reopen, passengers are going to see new safety measures like all-night bus operations, fewer buses, staggered timings, thermal screening, entry through online booking, etc.
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