Gurgaon: Haryana Roadways has begun inter-state operations of its buses in full capacity in neighbouring states, except Delhi. The national capital is permitting entry to only 50 percent of state roadways buses till November 15.
The move comes soon after the state government reopened schools and colleges for physical classes.
After a long wait for getting no-objection certificates (NOCs) from neighbouring states, the transport department has finally received clearance for full inter-state operations in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, among others.
“We are operating at full capacity in nearby states, barring Delhi. We’ve sent numerous letters and proposals since July, and it was only this week that they issued NOCs. The Delhi government has only allowed 50% of our buses to enter its territory. We’ve been told that the decision to increase the bus count would be taken after Diwali,” said a senior transport department official.
Roadways buses headed for Delhi intra-state bus terminals (ISBTs) have started operating from Tuesday. Initially, the state roadways has begun with 10% of buses.
According to sources, the Delhi government has allowed entry of only non-polluting buses.
Only buses that have joined the roadways fleet after 2015 will be able to enter the capital.
Officials claimed there has been an increased demand for inter-state bus services in Unlock 5. “Due to the festive season, there has been a rise in demand for inter-state bus services, which is only going to increase in the coming days as migrants and other passengers seek to travel to their hometowns for Diwali,” the official added.
Reeling under deep financial losses, the state roadways hopes for a revival during the festive season. Haryana was among the few states to resume its bus services in the first phase of Unlock. Having incurred losses of over Rs 200 crore between March and June, the department was desperately waiting to resume the interstate bus services to increase its revenue.