Adherence to COVID-19 norms poor in public transport

Despite the government announcing restrictions, commuters complain that some MTC buses are still crowded with many not wearing masks properly

Fear of contracting COVID-19 has made many opt for bikes and cars over public transport. However, for those forced to travel on Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses, the fear still remains. Many passengers feel that though there has been an improvement when it comes to wearing masks and ensuring physical distancing, stricter enforcement from the MTC is needed to ensure that sanitisers are provided in all buses and the vehicles are sanitised after each trip. With COVID-19 cases increasing steadily in the State, the government reintroduced certain restrictions from April 10. As per the order, private and government buses plying between the districts and MTC buses running in Chennai should be operated only with seated passengers. Each bus has the capacity to accommodate 44 seated passengers and 25 standing passengers. To enforce the restrictions, the MTC has rolled out 400 additional buses on busy routes. The passengers and the bus crew are expected to wear masks, and sanitisers are supposed to be provided in all buses.