Crowding amid Covid surge in Kochi

KOCHI: As the election campaigning is over, the state has started enforcing Covid protocol strictly to manage the second wave. Ernakulam alone has reported 654 new cases on April 8 as compared to 504 cases on April 7. The city is also witnessing more and more crowding on roads and in the streets. Traffic blocks have seen a considerable spike in the last week. Many public transport facilities are also seeing an increase in the number of passengers. 

Anagha Nair, a student of Swamy Saswathikananda College, Poothotta, says the private buses are crowded more than they used to be. “Today, I had to stand in a crowded bus from Menaka till Vyttila. There is no chance for social distancing on the bus,” she says. Traffic blocks have increased a lot, especially after Easter and the elections,” said Sunil, an auto driver. “Buses have become crowded since the time of the election campaign,” another auto driver Abhilash added.

An officer with the Ernakulam West traffic office said the surge in crowd is probably only due to the holidays. “It was a long weekend with Easter and the elections. We expect it to go down,” the officer said, adding that social distancing will be enforced much more strictly. The station master at Vyttila Mobility Hub also said they noticed an increase in the number of passengers. “Earlier there used to be strict enforcement of guidelines. Now, around 15 standing passengers are allowed in buses.”