West Bengal: ‘Buses, cabs only to ferry essential services staff’

Krishnendu Bandyopadhyay | TNN | Apr 16, 2020, 11:06 IST

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KOLKATA: The state transport department has clarified that the skeletal bus and taxi services currently in operation are not public transport but to ferry healthcare and other essential services staffers and for emergency commute like transfer of patients to hospitals.
“Without this service, the lifeline will get choked and adversely affect the supply line, a senior West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) official said in response to the ministry of home affairs order on Wednesday, which reiterated on the ban on buses, taxis, autos, cycle rickshaws and app cabs.
“For the basic minimum taxi service, too, police are verifying the commute need before allowing a person to travel. Only those who can substantiate that they have an emergency need are being allowed. It is a controlled mobility under the supervision of police and the transport department,” a public vehicles department official explained.
State transport department officials have argued that a blanket ban would not work as no modes of communication is available during lockdown and those requiring emergency travel would face extreme difficulty to either reach their workplace or a hospital.
WBTC has instructed conductors to check the urgency of passengers before allowing them on board. “The conductor checks if the commuter has a trade licence or hospitalisation document, or a doctor’s prescription,” an official said.
To avail of the limited taxi service, one needs prior booking after submitting documents supporting the need for emergency commute.