Around 50 private buses conducted services in Ernakulam on Thursday following relaxation of lockdown norms. They included both city and mofussil services.
Around 40 buses, under the Ernakulam District Private Bus Operators’ Association, were run within the city and the immediate suburbs, while 10 services were operated to towns located away from the city, it is learnt.
A few operators allegedly flouted norms and carried more passengers than allowed, sources said. “The crew of one such bus plying from the city to Poothotta on Thursday evening permitted passengers to stand and travel, which is against physical distancing norms. The vehicle got even more crowded as it reached Thripunithura and Poothotta,” said a passenger. The crew members told passengers who protested that they were helpless, he added.
Most private bus operators were initially hesitant to conduct services, although the KSRTC resumed operations in busy corridors in the city from Monday. They said they would resume services only from June, a stand which drew flak.
For the record, the government had ordered that buses could be run provided physical distancing norms were adhered to, which meant they could carry up to 40% of their permitted capacity. Moreover, fare was temporarily hiked by 50% to offset the loss in revenue.
More services will begin from Friday after urgent repairs on vehicles as they have been idling for two months. Operators in distress are keen on availing the benefits of the two-month insurance tenure extension, which alone will enable them to save up to ₹12,000 a month.
The operators would have resumed services had insurance firms calculated their idling date from March-end, when the lockdown began. But the firms are calculating the date on which bus operators submitted the G-form, to avail benefits like tax deduction and extension of insurance tenure. The Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA) or the government must prevail upon the firms against this, said K.B. Suneer, general secretary, Bus Operators Association.
Navas K.M., the designated partner of the bus operators conclave, Kochi Wheelz United, said it would take a week or so for commuters to gain confidence to use public transport. “Most buses had low patronage on Thursday. The limiting of operating hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. might further lower income from ticket sale,” he said.