After 40 days of lockdown, Assam on the move again

TNN | Updated: May 5, 2020, 13:36 IST

Heavy traffic on GS Road, Guwahati, on Monday as the state government relaxed shutdown norms allowing vehicular movement between 6am and 6pm

Heavy traffic on GS Road, Guwahati, on Monday as the state government relaxed shutdown norms allowing vehicula...Read More

GUWAHATI/SILCHAR/JORHAT/DIBRUGARH: After 40 days of lockdown, road transport and business activities resumed across Assam on Monday. However, most commercial establishments remained closed in Guwahati, the trade hub of the northeast.
On the first day of the third phase of lockdown, 100 city buses were allotted for Guwahati and 214 for inter-district operations across the state. A government release said 100 more city buses would be pressed into service on Tuesday. The state transport department will also facilitate return of stranded people of Assam from various NE states.
"The state transport department has ensured strict compliance of safety guidelines to safeguard public health. Use of masks and disinfecting the buses after each trip was ensured by joint enforcement teams," said a government spokesperson.
Joint enforcement teams were deployed to monitor the movement of buses and to ensure that more than 50% seats are not filled in any bus. Online ticketing and contact details of the passengers were kept for record.
App cab service providers like Ola and Uber also resumed operations in Guwahati from Monday, giving relief to commuters. A maximum of two passengers were allowed to travel in one car. President of All Assam Cab Operators' Union, Ismail Ali, said, "Considering the space of the commercial taxis, more number of passengers should be allowed. Today, over 500 Uber and Ola cabs operated in Guwahati and 50% of them got trips."
Elsewhere in Silchar and many other places of the Barak Valley, a large number of people thronged shops and market areas during the day time. Abhishek Chakroboree, a resident of Tarapur, said, "The relaxation regarding opening of shops has given some sort of relief and everyone seems to be happy. Another resident, Rahul Roy, cautioned, "Though the government has permitted some relaxations, everyone should avoid crowding."