Assam: City buses, other public transport to operate on weekdays from today

GUWAHATI: The Assam government will allow city buses and other modes of public transport to operate from Monday, with the All Assam Motor Transport Association (AAMTA) hopeful that the move will reduce the economic pressure and losses that they have incurred so far.
The Assam government had on Thursday issued a fresh set of unlock guidelines with relaxations on inter-district movement. Inter-district movement of passenger vehicles and people, which was earlier allowed only on Mondays and Tuesdays, will now be allowed between Monday and Friday, with vehicles plying with 50% capacity. Other modes of public transport have also been allowed to operate with 50% capacity and asked to maintain social distancing.
Some city buses were allowed to operate here for a few days between May and June but the services were stopped with the imposition of a fresh lockdown from June 28.
The city has 700 private buses apart from the government-owned ones which ply daily.
Association secretary general Pradip Das said, “After a gap of almost six months, the buses will be on the roads, which is a good sign. People have now understood that we have to adjust and try to live a normal life even when the virus is around. We are hopeful that the move will reduce the economic pressure and losses.”
However, the owners said if they have to operate with 50% capacity, then the buses will go off the roads once again.
“The public transport system has already been hit hard. The prices of fuel have also increased. The batteries have also run down because of the shutdown. If we operate with 50% capacity, ticket fares have to be hiked,” Das said.
A government-sponsored study to assess and understand the severity of the impact of the pandemic on the state’s economy stated that the lockdown has affected 12 lakh workers of the transport sector. The “Report on Economy of Assam”, commissioned by State Innovation and Transformation Aayog (SITA) in collaboration with Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development, said an estimated 11.66 lakh persons at present are involved in commercial transport operations and these people has been hit the hardest by the lockdown. The transport sector is facing a loss of Rs 1,523 crore because of the Covid-induced restrictions and the lockdown.
Das said AAMTA on Sunday wrote to the authorities asking them to increase the bus fares. “Most people have cut down on travelling due to fear of infection. Moreover, the rule that we should operate with 50% capacity to maintain social distancing has made things harder for us. If the government does not give a nod to fare hike, it will be difficult for us to operate. The way things are going, the public transport system might collapse soon,” he said.