No sanitisation, no transport: Strict warning for DTC drivers, conductors

DTC buses have been permitted to ply on Delhi roads in the fourth phase of lockdown which began from Monday but with strict restrictions on the number of passengers that may be allowed inside. Transport minister Kailash Gahlot on Wednesday said that drivers, conductors and marshals have been told to also strictly follow sanitisation protocols or be ready to face stern action.

The permission to ply DTC buses across the city may have come as a relief for people here but social-distancing norms remains of paramount importance. With more than 10,500 positive Covid-19 cases here at the time of filing this report, Gahlot said that the protocols announced by CM Arvind Kejriwal have to be adhered to. These protocols include periodic sanitisation of the buses, checking temperature of every passenger before he or she boards the bus and not allowing 20 passengers at a time. "Drivers, conductors and bus marshals have been strictly instructed to not run buses with more than 20 passengers. If it comes to surface that they did not follow these directions, strong action will be taken against all three," he said.

While he did not elaborate on how checks will be carried out and the nature of these actions, Gahlot said that a majority of DTV buses are currently engaged in ferrying migrants to railway stations. He also said that the Revenue Department has requisitioned 1,200 buses and another 400 to 500 buses have been requisitioned by the police force.