The COVID-19 outbreak has posed unprecedented challenges for public bus users and service providers. To help build their resilience during this pandemic, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) India Programme has prepared guidelines for the service providers in India -- providing recommendations to ensure smooth and safe functioning of city bus services. Shreya Gadepalli, the South Programme Lead at the ITDP India shares her views with C Shivakumar on resuming bus services in Chennai post-lockdown.
Question: Do you think commuters will be reluctant to use buses post-lockdown?
Answer: Nearly 80 per cent of bus users in Chinese cities have returned after the end of lockdown. There is no reason to believe this won’t happen in Indian cities. Transport undertakings must cater to commuters without compromising their safety.
Q: Is Chennai’s current fleet size sufficient to cater to the potential travel demand post-lockdown, when it can operate with only 50 per cent occupancy?
A: At present, MTC has a fleet size of 3,650 buses that served 33 lakh passengers daily before the lockdown was imposed. The size will have to double if they were to run at half the capacity after lockdown is lifted.
Q: So how do you suggest Chennai tackle the deficit?
A: Hiring buses from the private sector might be one way to augment capacity quickly. Besides providing citizens access to services, transport undertakings must prioritise the health and safety of their staff. These efforts will go a long way in building public trust and ensure that they continue to use public transport.
Q: How can ticketing and payment options become safer for passengers post-lockdown?
A: The government should look at contactless ticketing options like passes and digital payments. These passes should be available in every kirana store. COVID-19 provides our cities with an opportunity to transform public transport services by improving user experience through technology, investing in public transport as a social good, and reforming informal transit services.
Q: You’re a strong believer of public transport and non-motorised transport. What is the role of buses and cycles post-lockdown?
A: There is a need to promote cycles post-lockdown by reclaiming city spaces as it has been a trend across the world now. As an economic recession looms large, buses play a crucial role in both creating and giving access to new employment opportunities. Post the Great Recession of 2008, investing in public transport systems created many job opportunities in countries like South Korea and the United States, and it could do the same for India too.