Complying with the State government’s physical distancing protocol, more private buses resumed service in Kozhikode district on Friday. The services are being run in spite of the opposition by a section of bus owners who are unhappy with the government’s “cold response” to their list of demands, including a special welfare package to save the ailing sector.
Though four buses which ran maintaining the social distancing guidelines for passengers on Wednesday were attacked by the rivals, it is yet to discourage the entry of more operators who wish to cooperate with the government’s directive. As of now, there are more than 50 private buses in service connecting the city with rural areas. The KSRTC too has resumed some of its services.
Police and Motor Vehicle Department officials said that they would carry out inspections to ensure that the services were being operated in a safe way by sticking to the social distancing protocol. The suspected incidents of vandalising the buses would also be taken up seriously, they said
Meanwhile, the bus operators who restarted service after a break of two months, said they were facing huge losses with the limited number of passengers. They also complained that the passengers were apprehensive of using the public transport system now with the increasing number of COVID-19 cases across the State.
