Public Transport Amid Covid-19

Cut to the bare minimum amid the fight against Covid-19, public transport has begun to shift gears.

- Bhushan Mhapralkar

Ferrying essential services staff with the necessary social distancing and other precautions, public transport was compelled to operate at its bare minimum through the later part of March, the whole of April and the beginning of May. The news of operation of special trains for migrant workforce by the Government in May meant public transport buses would need to run to ensure that they reach the respective railway station from various parts of a city or town. Starting from this point, as the country moves into the fourth phase of the lockdown amid the fight against Covid-19, public transport – buses especially have been shifting gears. The rising level of their operation has been supported by announcements like the opening of various routes and national highways. The concept of a national highway in India differing from those found in most advanced countries, many public transport buses in India use national and state highways as part of their route planning.