No Metro or Gurugam buses till May 31, bike-taxi services resume

The fourth phase of the ongoing nationwide lockdown will continue in Gurugram with largely the same curbs on mobility that were enforced in the third phase, said

The fourth phase of the ongoing nationwide lockdown will continue in Gurugram with largely the same curbs on mobility that were enforced in the third phase, said government officials who also clarified that mass transit facilities — including Gurugram’s city bus service, Rapid Metro Link, and Delhi’s Metro’s Yellow Line — will remain suspended in the city till May 31 as per the guidelines laid down by the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA).

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A senior official aware of the developments said, “We did give some thoughts about resuming operations of the Rapid Metro since it runs only within the city, but all metro rail services across India are to remain shut. We may consider resuming operations after May 31.”

Autorickshaws have also not yet been permitted to ply within the district so far. “Until now, there has been no official state order allowing autorickshaws to ply, even though as per MHA guidelines they are allowed to run in ‘orange zones,’” Yogesh Sharma, head, Gurugram-based Haryana Auto Chalak Sangathan, said. “Only those autos affiliated with private cab aggregators have resumed operations so far, and those working independently are waiting for state orders to be issued,” he added.

In a new addition, app-based cab operators on Monday resumed bike-taxi services in Gurugram, which remains classified as an ‘orange zone.’

Residents on Monday were able to book bike-taxis to various locations within the city via both Ola and Uber apps. Representatives from the two companies declined to comment and said they were waiting for official orders from the Haryana government before giving a statement. Meanwhile, private cabs and vehicles will be allowed to ply in Gurugram with not more than two passengers and a driver, as was the case earlier.

VS Kundu, additional chief secretary to the Haryana government and nodal officer for monitoring Covid-19 efforts in Gurugram, said, “There will be no change in the previous rules for now. Private cab aggregators will continue to ply, but given the recent surge in cases, maintaining social distancing is still the need of the hour. The city-bus service and Rapid Metro will remain closed for the time being. The state government will issue further clarification on inter-district and inter-state movement.”

In a video statement released on Twitter on Monday evening, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that both intra-state and inter-state bus services will resume in the state from Tuesday. Last week, Haryana Roadways had already started operating buses on select routes between 10 districts in Haryana and bus service with certain restrictions in other districts is expected to start soon.

However, no buses will run between Delhi and Gurugram, and Faridabad, and only people with passes will be allowed to move across the Delhi-Gurugram border. District authorities are yet to issue guidelines on whether buses would be allowed to run between Gurugram and Faridabad.