The public transport in Karnataka’s capital Bengaluru is completely functional now, as the state government relaxed Covid-19 curbs. All metro trains and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses are running with 100 per cent capacity. However, no standing passenger is allowed in metro and buses, according to a report in leading Kannada daily Prajavani.
To meet the deficit of space created by the absence of standing passengers, BMTC will run additional vehicles on every route with a one-minute gap between the schedules on the same route. This will help the passengers who would have travelled standing in the buses, according to BMTC officials.
The BMTC has pressed into service 4,500 vehicles on Monday, and if needed, more buses will ply on all 450 routes inside the Bengaluru Metropolitan area. To facilitate contactless transactions, the BMTC has initiated QR coding and other e-payment modes in view of Covid-19 social distancing norms in place.
BMTC services will run from 5am to 9pm, according to people aware of the developments. All crew members have been asked to mandatorily wear masks and use hand sanitisers frequently. The BMTC has also advised the passengers to refrain from using public transport if they have Covid symptoms or any other illness. The transport body will put only those crew members in service who have been Covid vaccinated.
Meanwhile, the ‘Namma Metro’ in the city will be operational for 13 hours daily. In peak hours, there will be a train every five minutes and in lean hours there will be a train every 15 minutes. During the weekends, the number of trains will be regulated depending on the number of passengers, according to BMRCL officials. Services will begin at 7am and will run till 8pm, they added.
Other tier-II cities – like Mangaluru, Mysuru, Belagavi and Dharwad – will also follow the same procedure, according to state authorities. However, in Mangaluru, private bus operators have been found carrrying full standing passengers, which is a matter of concern, according to officials.
