VIJAYAWADA: Intra-state and inter-state bus services are set to begin soon. At first, the State government wants to operate buses from Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru to bring back people who hail from Andhra Pradesh. The buses won’t stop on the way, and physical distancing and wearing of masks will be mandatory. An announcement on bus services is likely to be made in a few days, once the travelling migrant workers are shifted back to their hometowns.
Hours after Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy said inter-state bus services might begin soon, his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao announced that no inter-state buses will be run and no buses from other states would be allowed into Telangana.
Passengers’ information will be recorded so they can be traced. “Once a person gets off, their details should be collected and tests conducted. This will help trace the passengers as and when needed,” Jagan said.
On buses being operated within the state, the number of seats will be halved to ensure physical distancing. Not more than 20 people will be allowed on a bus. The government has also decided to permit private buses to ply.
“A final decision on when bus services will resume will be announced within three or four days,” Jagan said.
He also told officials to set up ward clinics at the earliest. “Village and ward clinics will be a solution to a crisis like this,” he asserted.Meanwhile, officials said the APSRTC incurred a loss of about Rs 700 crore by not operating buses in the past two months, and discussions on a hike in fares are underway.Weddings in the state will be permitted as long as the gatherings have less than 50 people.
