People are returning to the city in large numbers as the State government partially lifted the lockdown with effect from Monday morning.
Slow moving traffic was seen in several parts, such as Tumakuru Road, Mysuru Road, Bommasandra, Central Silk Board Junction and in some parts of the central business district too.
The government has allowed people to make purchases of essential commodities between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. Industrial establishments are allowed to function with 50% staff, whereas 30% staff are allowed in the garment sector.
Street vendors are hoping that increased business hours could help find more customers. Giridhara, a street vendor in Yelahanka, said, “People like us suffered a lot during lockdown. We earn on a daily basis and meet household expenses. Earlier, authorities allowed us to do the business till 10 a.m., but due to restrictions, people were not coming out and there were not enough customers. We are hoping that extended hours will help us to find more customers.” He also added that after the outbreak of the pandemic, many people who lost jobs started selling vegetables near residential layouts in vans or goods auto and competition has increased.
Shop owners who are selling construction and interior materials said that due to the lockdown, they have been facing problems with supply of materials. Pramod, a trader, said, “During the lockdown, we faced issues with the supply of materials. As more construction workers are coming back to the city, construction activities will increase now. We are hoping that everything will be normal in the coming days.”
As per the government order, only autos and taxis are allowed to ferry passengers. The BMTC is operating around 320 buses for those who are carrying out essential services and chartered services. Non- availability of city buses has caused inconvenience to many people.
At Majestic, migrant workers and others were seen waiting for the buses but only those who had valid ID cards were allowed to board the essential service buses. The BMRCL is also not operating Namma Metro train services as per the government order.
In addition to Bengaluru, the lockdown guidelines have been relaxed in 18 districts.