BENGALURU: The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has decided to suspend its services between July 15 and 21, although buses will be operational for essential purposes. The corporation has decided to run its services between 7 am and 7 pm for people belonging to 134 essential services in Bengaluru, excluding containment zones.The transport sector in Bengaluru Urban and Rural will be affected yet again doe to the lockdown. However, this time flights and trains will function, hence the state government has allowed the operation of cabs and autorickshaws ferrying passengers from or to the railway stations or airport, a senior officer told TNIE. Cab aggregators Uber and Ola confirmed that services will be available for essential travel only.
“We are already struggling with no customers, now with one week of total lockdown, we are lost. How do we feed our families?” asked Madhava, an autorickshaw driver. While several drivers are yet to receive the `5,000 one-time compensation from the state government, cab and auto drivers say the future seems bleak. “I was informed that since my mobile number is not linked to my Aadhaar card, I won’t be able to receive the compensation. But the bank says otherwise. I am stuck with no other means to survive. I have debts to pay,” says Mushraff Khan, another auto driver.
The essential services personnel — government staffers, police, doctors, health professional, ASHA workers, bankers, media personnel and students who have to write examinations — will be allowed to travel by BMTC buses using monthly, weekly or daily passes. Weekly and daily passes will be issued by bus conductors for `300 and `70. The KSRTC services have also been suspended for the given time. People will be allowed to use their personal vehicles for inter-state and intra-state travel only in cases of emergencies after availing a pass through the Seva Sindhu portal.