Covid-19 lockdown: Bus union demands permission to ferry stranded migrants in Noida

Shyamlal Gola, president All India Luxury Bus Union, said that the outbreak of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has badly affected the people and the economy.

All India Luxury Bus Union has demanded the government to permit them to ferry stranded people from one place to another. The union has 15,000 buses in different cities and employs over 50,000 people. The union said that, while, on the one hand, people are stranded at different places, scores of bus drivers, helpers and mechanics involved in transport business are jobless.

Over 50,000 drivers, helpers, mechanics, etc. are associated with the transport business and they are jobless due to the lockdown, said Shyamlal Gola, president All India Luxury Bus Union. (Yogendra Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Shyamlal Gola, president All India Luxury Bus Union, said that the outbreak of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has badly affected the people and the economy. “We have seen that a number of migrant workers, students and others are stranded in different cities. In the absence of public transport vehicles, some of them are walking on foot with their family members. We have asked the government to allow the private buses to ferry these stranded people. We will sanitize the buses and adhere to the social distancing norms,” he said.

Gola said that over 50,000 drivers, helpers, mechanics, etc. are associated with the transport business and they are jobless due to the lockdown. “We have supported our employees financially during the lockdown. But the financial burden on transporters is increasing. The government should relax the norms and allow us to function,” he said.

Gola said the government is yet to relax norms for transporters, in terms of extending the insurance validity, fitness validity, commercial taxes, even though these vehicles are not plying. “The buses would rust and get technical problems by being grounded for months at one place,” he said. Some transporters have also financed their vehicles and are unable to pay EMIs. The Union has written a letter to the state and central government over the matter.

Noida transport department said they have not received any order from government on allowing private buses as of now. Himesh Tiwari, Assistant Regional Transport Officer (enforcement) said the district administration has arranged some roadways buses and sent some stranded people to their home towns from Noida. “There are some more people in these shelter homes. The government is engaging roadways buses to ferry them. We have not received any order to allow these private buses to ply,” he said.