PremiumWith new measures imposed in West Bengal to curb the spread of the coronavirus, commuters on Thursday complained of inconvenience in reaching their workplaces.
Serpentine queues were seen at several bus stations in the state and some buses of North and South 24 Parganas remained overcrowded too, reported news agency PTI.
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Premium Premium "I stay at Baruipur in South 24 Parganas, and I travel to my office in Kolkata in local trains. But today, I had to take the risk of boarding a jam-packed bus amid this raging pandemic," a resident, Monoj Ghosh, was quoted as saying.
Several passengers said they had to shell out hefty sums in search of alternatives like shuttle cabs and private taxis.
A commuter from Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas said he had to pay ₹100 for a shared cab, a journey which usually costs him ₹10 on a suburban train.
The trains, considered the lifeline for millions in Bengal, had resumed services on 11 November last year after a gap of more than seven months, owing to the Covid-19 restrictions.
Their movement was restricted again after a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday.
Banerjee said that metro rail and state road transport services will be curtailed by 50% and local train operations suspended from Thursday, as part of fresh measures to combat the rampaging second wave of coronavirus.
The government also requested private firms to encourage work from home. However, employees with up to 50% of strength are allowed in one shift in private offices.
Banks are also open from 10 am to 2 pm.
Operation in industries, factories, mills, tea gardens is also restricted to 50% of the total strength in each shift.
West Bengal on Wednesday registered its highest single-day spike of 18,102 Covid-19 cases and 103 deaths.
With inputs from agencies.
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