OMICRON: Time for relook at curbs?

By Nischith N | NT

Bengaluru: When Covid-19 pandemic restrictions were lifted, public transport started witnessing a gradual rise in footfalls. As the number of cases came down, people even started ignoring Covid safety protocol such as wearing masks and social distancing.

However, in the light of the recent Omicron scare, health experts feel the government should tighten curbs on public transport, or they may become super spreaders of the virus. They have called for guidelines to restrict public transport capacity to 50% in order to ensure social distancing in buses and metros.

At the same time they don’t want them to be stopped as it would adversely affect the livelihood of many people. They want the government to formulate norms for a judicious use of public transport to keep the wheels of the economy running and at the same time curb the spread of the virus.

“Not everyone can work from home. Many people need to leave their homes to generate income. Many of them rely on public transport, which carry large volumes of passengers through busy Bengaluru streets. Even during a pandemic, public transport remains the backbone of sustainable mobility and is essential for economic recovery,” says D.V. Arun, a regular Metro commuter. However, he added that with the emergence of the new variant, certain restrictions can be imposed, but was against a total ban.

Both Namma Metro and BMTC incurred huge losses last year as they could not ply for over two months due to the countrywide lockdown imposed by the Central government. The economy had come to a grinding halt and many people lost their jobs and faced pay cuts.

Namma Metro and BMTC rely on cash flows from passenger fares to meet half of their operating costs, while for the rest they rely on public subsidies. The government is of the view that Omicron is currently under control and further steps will be taken accordingly.

Imposing social distancing in buses and metros will be a challenge. Maintaining a distance of six feet will be next to impossible for commuters while travelling or even while waiting at bus stops and metro stations. However, commuters and activists opine that with the right measures, the government can ensure that public transport is Covid-safe.

“All public transport departments have to step up and take concrete action to make transit systems Covid-safe for staff and passengers for the sake of public health, economic recovery and environmental sustainability. As long as the virus is here, transport providers must adopt measures to prevent overcrowding in buses and trains. So it is better to impose strict rules than make it for 50 per cent passengers or stop operating completely, as all transport departments are running under huge losses,” says Krishna Prasad, an activist.

According to reports, BMRCL operates trains from 6 am to 11 pm with a frequency of 5 minutes in peak hours and 10 minutes in normal hours. “We can run trains at a frequency of 3 minutes to avoid crowds, if the government allows. We are following all Covid norms to ensure a safe journey,” a BMRCL official said, requesting anonymity.

BMRCL makes repeated announcements on trains and stations on the need to maintain distance, and also fines commuters who fail to do so.

As Omicron variant cases continue to rise, the state government has imposed fresh restrictions by declaring any area with three or more cases of Covid being declared a cluster.

It has also made it mandatory for malls, theatres, and cinema halls in the city to let in only those visitors who have taken two doses of Covid-19 vaccine.

No curbs, hike bus, metro frequency- Srinivasan Alavalli, activist, Janaagraha

The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) as well people in the city have already incurred losses due to Covid-induced lockdowns. More restrictions may result in a public backlash.

The Karnataka government needs to come up with a better solution if in case they are going to place restrictions on public transport.

Instead of forcing commuters to have 50% seating capacity, the government can increase the frequency of buses. This will help prevent overcrowding and standing passengers and may also ensure social distancing norms.

The Metro’s reach is limited and cannot determine how things happen in our city. However, it is good to know that they have extended the time and frequency to help commuters. The BMTC is ten times bigger than Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) in terms of volumes and capacity. So any decision taken will directly impact the city’s transportation. If the government chooses to restrict the seating capacity, then that will give rise to traffic congestion as people will use private vehicles to commute.