After over two months, Haryana resumes inter-state bus service

Haryana resumed inter-state public transport services from Wednesday after remaining suspended for over two months in wake of coronavirus lockdown, a senior official said.

As scope of relaxations has been furr widened in accordance with Centre's guidelines, inter-state bus service resumed on a few routes Wednesday, he said, adding most routes would be operational by Thursday.

Barring Delhi, which has ordered sealing of its borders for a week in wake of rising coronavirus cases in city, Haryana Roadways buses will ply to or states like Uttarakhand, Punjab, Himachal, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

"Barring Delhi, we have resumed our services. We have sent details of routes to various depots and while we operated some buses today, rest will be operated tomorrow," State Transport Department Director General Virender Dahiya told PTI over phone.

Haryana Roadways officials said bookings for only 30 seats will be done in each bus to adhere to social distancing rms.

Haryana Roadways had resumed bus service within state on May 15, first time since lockdown was anunced in March. 

Haryana government on Wednesday issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in accordance to guidelines issued by Union Ministry of Home Affairs regarding inter-state travel in buses of Haryana Roadways.

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passengers intending to undertake inter-state travel must carry ir identity proofs and tickets, in eir electronic mode or physical form. Apart from this, bus staff as well as passengers must have Arogya Setu app downloaded in ir mobile phones.

Giving details, an official statement said it must be ensured that staff and passengers are free of any COVID-19 symptoms.

"If any such person boards bus, he or she must immediately be de-boarded and sent home and people in contact with him or her must be home quarantined for 14 days," it said.

buses for ferrying passengers should be fully sanitised inside out. In addition, sanitiser bottles must be kept inside buses at all times and must be used by bus staff from time to time at regular intervals, statement said.

"Wearing of masks by everyone onboard a bus and on bus stands must be strictly adhered to by all and passengers should carry sanitisers with m," it said, adding rmal screening of passengers must be ensured by staff during boarding process.

" passenger should be allowed to board if he or she is running high temperature. staff doing rmal screening must be wearing PPE kits while doing screening and should sanitise mselves properly and adequately," statement said. 

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