Day after ISBTs reopen, Delhi L-G asks govt for report on teething problems

Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Wednesday sought a report from the state transport department on arrangements made at the three interstate bus terminals (ISBTs), a day after they opened for the public after remaining shut for more than seven months due to the pandemic.

Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Wednesday sought a report from the state transport department on arrangements made at the three interstate bus terminals (ISBTs), a day after they opened for the public after remaining shut for more than seven months due to the pandemic.

Buses parked at Anand Vihar Bus Terminal after inter-state bus services resumed in Delhi for the first time since the nationwide lockdown was imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus disease in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. (Raj K Raj/HT photo)

The L-G sought the action-taken report after Hindustan Times on Wednesday highlighted some teething problems that emerged at these ISBTs, especially at Anand Vihar, senior government officials said.

Transport minister Kailash Gahlot also took cognisance of the HT report and directed officials to ensure the standard operating procedures (SOP) were strictly followed inside the premises. On its second day of operation, the three ISBTs received a total of 629 buses from the neighbouring states, up from 542 buses that came on Tuesday. The Anand Vihar ISBT once again saw the highest number of buses (358) on day two, followed by Kashmere Gate ISBT (170 buses) and Sarai Kale Khan ISBT (101 buses).

Following the directive, the transport department, the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC) Limited that manages and operates the ISBTs, and the southeast and central district administrations on Wednesday initiated a series of measures to resolve the problems.

“Three senior officers have now been deployed at each of the three ISBTs. The officers will monitor if the staff is alerting people to follow Covid-19 appropriate behaviour such as wearing masks, not spitting and maintaining social distancing. They will ensure cleanliness of public toilets inside terminals, especially those for women. Liquid soap will be made available for hand wash. Arrangements are being made to install foot-operated sanitisers inside the ISBTs,” said a senior transport official.

After HT pointed out the lack of Covid-19 testing camps at Kashmere Gate and Sarai Kale Khan, the district administrations on Wednesday initiated the process of setting them up.

“On the directions of the LG and the minister, today we have set up a Covid-19 testing camp inside the Kashmere Gate ISBT. It is near the arrival area where people from neighbouring states such as Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh set foot on the Capital. The good news is we had expected the testing to be launched from tomorrow. But our medical teams started testing at Kashmere Gate today (Wednesday) itself,” said a senior official of the Central district.

At Sarai Kale Khan, the southeast district administration said there was a Covid-19 camp which was discontinued a while ago. “The DM has today (Wednesday) issued an order to set up a Covid-19 testing camp inside the ISBT where around 400 rapid tests will be conducted daily on passengers and volunteers. Four medical staff including two doctors and two lab technicians have been deputed at the ISBT to conduct these tests from tomorrow (Thursday),” said a senior district official.

On Wednesday HT had reported that Covid testing camp was available only at the Anand Vihar ISBT which conducts around 1,500 tests daily, but used to wrap up by 3:30 pm. The time for testing will be extended further, said an official of DM Shahdara. In case a person tests positive, the staff sends him/her to the nearest quarantine facility, in this case the Akshardham Covid Care Centre, through an ambulance, he added.

Gahlot said the transport department explained to him that all passengers cannot be thermally screened at the Anand Vihar ISBT, as is being done at Kashmere Gate, because the premises has at least four different entry points and there is a staff crunch.

“At present, around 20,000-25,000 people are coming to all three ISBTs combined as there is a cap of 50% on the total number of buses. But, after November 15 the numbers will increase. I have once again asked the transport department to ensure strictest compliance of the SOP inside the ISBTs,” Gahlot said.