In Chennai, MTC buses are operating with standing passengers also now, who cares!!
Posted on: 03/Jan/2022 9:31:37 AM
Maintaining social distance and wearing facemasks etc have gone for a toss now in the MTC Buses in Chennai!!
The Coronavirus pandemic has forced the TN government to issue certain rules like wearing facemasks, maintaining social distance etc to prevent the spreading of this infection. It must be taken into note that the MTC buses were allowed to operate with only 50% of passengers and passengers were not allowed to travel in these buses standing etc.
The news that has come out is that the MTC buses on Sunday operated buses with passengers standing. This is in violation of the revised Covid-19 guidelines. Many white board buses were overcrowded and many traveled in these buses without wearing facemasks etc. This was mentioned by some commuters.
According to a bus commuter who took a MTC bus from the Central station, even on Sunday the buses were full of passengers. He spoke about how he was shocked to see so many passengers inside the bus and how the Tamil Nadu government’s new restriction (allowing only seated passengers inside the buses) was not followed. He concluded that the Omicron variant cases have been increasing now and the government must make sure that social distancing is maintained in the MTC buses.
It was revealed by another commuter that each MTC bus can accommodate 44 seated and 25 standing passengers. The whiteboard buses have become overcrowded now as the government has given permission for women to travel free of cost. Point is that the government must operate more ordinary buses so that social distancing would be maintained well inside the buses.
The conductors expressed their views regarding the absence of social distancing inside the MTC buses. They complained that the public were not listening to them and engaged in arguments when asked to take another bus to avoid overcrowding.
