Haryana Roadways drives out of lockdown, puts operations in first gear from Friday

To start with, only 29 buses of 10 depots will hit the roads connecting towns such as Ambala Cantt, Karnal, Bhiwani, Jind, Kaithal, Shahbad, Pipli, Panchkula, Charkhi Dadri, Rohtak, Narnaul, Rewari, Hisar, Sirsa, and Fatehabad

Fifty-one days after the lockdown, Haryana Roadways buses will restart operations on 29 routes of 10 depots on Friday morning when its fleet of state-run buses will begin plying across select cities.

Under normal circumstances, the roadways buses transport 11 lakh passengers per day, covering 12 lakh km daily. (HT FILE)

The roadways has kept the size and scale of exiting the lockdown modest. Haryana has 23 depots of the roadways; a fleet of 4,104 buses and 105 bus stands. The roadways staff strength is over 16,000. Under normal circumstances, the roadways buses transport 11 lakh passengers per day, covering 12 lakh km daily.

But on Friday, only 29 buses of 10 depots will hit the roads connecting towns such as Ambala Cantt, Karnal, Bhiwani, Jind, Kaithal, Shahbad, Pipli, Panchkula, Charkhi Dadri, Rohtak, Narnaul, Rewari, Hisar, Sirsa, and Fatehabad.

STEERING CLEAR OF CORONA-HIT AREAS

The buses will not go to Covid-19 affected regions within the states.

At least eight buses will come to Panchkula from different regions of the state. Panchkula depot will start the largest service with nine buses that will go up to Rohtak, Bhiwani, Narnaul, Rewari, Hisar and Sirsa, while from Ambala depot buses will ply on six routes.

“Dheere-dheere kal se buson ko Haryana ke ander hi chalana shuru karenge (We will begin with running a few number of buses within the state),” Mool Chand Sharma, the state transport minister, who represents Ballabhgarh segment of Faridabad, said.

“Meri ek hi vinati hai ki maryada rakhen, bheed naa lagaye aur social distancing kaa vishesh dhayan rakhen (Maintain decorum, avoid assembling in large numbers at one place and maintain social distancing. That’s my request to the people.”

According to the transport minister, the state carriage service has incurred massive losses. “Ghata hi ghata hai...kamai toh ek rupaya bhi nahi hai,” said Sharma, who also holds the portfolio of mines and geology.

NO STOPPAGE EN ROUTE

Director, state transport, Virender Kumar Dahiya sent a detailed letter to the general managers (GMs) of Ambala, Bhiwani, Hisar, Kaithal, Karnal, Narnaul, Panchkula, Rewari, Rohtak and Sirsa depots, listing the steps to be taken and the dos and don’ts to be followed.

While the buses will ply from the state transport bus stands to the scheduled bus stands, passengers will not be allowed to board or disembark the bus on the way.

In case the bus is passing through Covid-19 affected districts it will go through a bypass or flyovers. A maximum of 30 passengers will be allowed in the buses. Passengers without masks will not be allowed to board the bus.

According to Dahiya, initially, the buses will run on limited routes and within the state.

“However,” he said, “the number of buses will be increased or decreased as per the availability of the passengers on particular routes.”

ONLINE BOOKING OF TICKETS

The passengers will have to book tickets online and only those with confirmed booking will be allowed to enter the bus stand.

Thermal screening of passengers will be done near the bus stand.

All GMs will have to ensure thermal scanning of the passengers. “The thermal scanners will be provided by the state headquarters,” Dahiya said.

“The seat to be kept vacant in the bus will have X mark with paint.”

ROUTE MAP

Buses will ply on the following inter-city routes from May 15:

Ambala Cantt-Karnal

Ambala Cantt-Panchkula

Bhiwani-Panchkula

Hisar-Panchkula

Kaithal-Ambala Cantt

Karnal-Ambala Cantt

Narnaul-Panchkula

Narnaul-Rewari

Panchkula-Karnal

Panchkula-Rohtak

Panchkula-Narnaul

Rewari-Panchkula

Rewari-Narnaul

Rohtak- Ambala Cantt

Rohtak-Panchkula

Sirsa-Panchkula