No safety protocols at public places

Y. Maheswara Reddy | NT

Bengaluru: Despite the sudden spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in Bengaluru during the last few days, authorities concerned continue to be negligent to enforce Covid appropriate behaviour (CAB) at crowded places.

Many people are seen either not wearing face masks or not wearing them appropriately. Many people, including porters at Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station, were seen not wearing face masks. They were also not bothered to maintain social distance. One can see passengers waiting in groups on platform No. 1 at the railway station.

There were no ticket collectors at entry and exit points of Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station. And not to be outdone, not a single railway protection force personnel was seen at the railway station at around 11.30 am.

“The RPF personnel penalised 191 railway passengers in December for not wearing face masks. Our drive to enforce the CAB will continue,’’ said a railway officer.

Though a group of marshals were seen near the parking lot, there were none at the entry and exit points at the railway station to enforce the CAB norms. “We cannot enter the railway station to enforce the CAB norms among the railway passengers. It is the responsibility of the railway protection force (RPF). We are focusing at the entrance and penalizing those who fail to follow the CAB,” said a BBMP marshal, adding that around 20 people were penalized for not wearing face masks.

There are two teams of BBMP health staff to collect swab samples from railway passengers for Covid-19 test, but the response from the railway passengers was not as expected. “Each team is assigned to collect around 200 swab samples per day, but we are not able to collect more than 120 swab samples per day. We have to counsel and cajole the railway passengers to have an RT-PCR test,” said a BBMP health inspector.

He blamed the railway authorities for not enforcing the CAB norms among the railway passengers. “There is none to enforce social distance and wearing face masks among the railway passengers,” he said.

A group of porters at the entrance of the railway station were seen either not wearing face masks or wearing face masks improperly. “Most of us have availed of a double dose of vaccine. So, we are not afraid of getting affected with caronavirus,” said Veeranna Gowda, a porter.

The scene at nearby Kempe Gowda Bus Station is also not encouraging. Here too authorities have been lax about enforcing CAB norms.

A few BMTC buses were seen overloaded with little regard to social distancing norms. “I have no other option but to commute on the BMTC bus, even though no seats are available,’’ said Murthy B, a commuter.

Meanwhile, BBMP Chief Marshal Col Rajbir Singh has said that patrolling by marshals has been intensified in the city to enforce the CAB norms among the people at crowded places such as bus stations, malls, movie theaters and markets. “We have assigned a team of BBMP marshals to enforce the CAB norms among the farmers and vendors at Kalasipalyam market and KR Market between 12 pm and 6 am,’’ said Col Rajbir Singh.

The BBMP Chief Marshal has said the BBMP has formed mobile squads to enforce the CAB norms in Bengaluru East, West, North, South, Mahadevapura and RR Nagar and Yelahanka Zones. “We are not deputing mobile squads to Dasarahalli and Bommanahalli Zones as the number of Covid cases reported in these two zones are not huge when compared to other zones,’’ he said.