Telangana resumes bus-services after over 50 days shops open

Hyderabad, May 19 (PTI) After nearly two months, the
state-run Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC)
on Tuesday resumed services across the state, barring city
buses in Hyderabad and inter-state, which had been suspended
since the coronavirus induced lockdown was announced on March
24.
     Shops that were also shut opened in the state except
Hyderabad, where they were permitted to open on odd-even
pattern on corresponding alternative days, officials said.
On Monday, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar
Rao, while announcing extension of lockdown in the state from
May 29 to 31, had announced several relaxations, including
resumption of public transport with conditions and opening of
all shops in the state except in Hyderabad.
In view of the high number of COVID-19 positive cases
from Hyderabad, city bus services have not resumed, officials
said.
     According to TSRTC officials, intra-state (within
the state) bus service began from Tuesday 6 am and around
6,000 buses (of the over 9,000 buses TSRTC has) were being
operated excluding city buses in Hyderabad and inter-state
buses.
     "We have restored our operations in district areas
except Hyderabad.In districts we are operating inter-district
and intra-district," Executive Director (Operations) E
Yadagiri told PTI.
     The officials said inter-district bus services
to Hyderabad were terminated in peripheral areas of the city
and no buses were allowed to the central bus station.
     Buses coming from Warangal district and
Yadagirigutta were being terminated at Uppal Cross Roads and
buses from Nalgonda and Khammam districts are being permitted
till Hayathnagar while buses from Mahabubnagar district were
terminated at Aaramghar.
     Similarly, buses from Vikarabad district were allowed
till Appa Junction and the buses coming from Karimnagar,
Nizamabad, Adilabad and Medak distrticts were being terminated
at Jubilee Bus Station, they said.
     All precautions and COVID-19 rules were being
followed while operating the buses including ensuring
social distancing, sanitising and disinfecting the buses.
     No passenger will be allowed to board the bus if
they don't wear facemasks, Yadagiri said, adding "Our crew--
driver and conductor are also wearing masks and
sanitisers were provided to the staff.
     Similarly, sanitisers were also provided in buses and
at wherever water facility is available at bus stations soaps
were provided."
     Passengers will be asked to observe social
distancing norms and no standing passenger will be allowed in
the buses, he said.
     As of now there is no huge crowd at bus stations but
more number of passengers are expected from Wednesday,
officials added.
     Auto-rickshaws were also seen plying in the city.
     Meanwhile, shops also opened across the state,
though the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC)
officials said shops in the city will be permitted to open
with on odd-even pattern on corresponding alternative days.
     Further, shops in containment zones will continue to
be closed, they said.
     All Zonal Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners
were directed to enforce this guidelinest from Tuesday
strictly besides ensuring compulsory wearing of masks for
those working in the shops and customers.
     "A policy of "No mask -No goods/No service" must
be followed. Any violation will be penalised with a fine
of Rs 1,000," officials said.
     Shopkeepers were seen cleaning their shops and
arranging their wares.
     M Mallareddy, who runs an electrical shop in the
city and opened his shop, expressed happiness and
hoped business would pick up soon.
     Niranjan, who runs a garment shop, too heaved a sigh
of relief, saying he can now resume his business. PTI VVK BN
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)