Buses to run in Chennai half-full after 5 months – Times of India

CHENNAI: Five months after the first lockdown was announced to handle the Covid-19 pandemic, city streets will regain life starting Tuesday as bus services will resume and malls, hotels will reopen. Offices have been permitted to function with 100% staff in attendance. Metro rail services will also resume on September 7 and Chennai will no longer be the city with the most restrictions in the country as only colleges, schools, cinemas and parks will remain closed.
As the city continues to log more than 1,000 fresh Covid-19 cases daily, MTC authorities, malls and hotel managements will take precautions to ensure safety of patrons. Measures — a mix of technology and manual enforcement — will be taken to prevent crowding and ensure social distancing in buses, malls, hotels and metro trains.

Anticipating a huge rush of commuters on the first day, MTC will run its entire fleet of 3,000 buses. A transport department official said due to social distancing restrictions, they will be running more buses. “We will first see the crowd, and based on that, we will increase services in the subsequent days.”
Buses can take in only 50% passengers and none can travel standing, and everyone must wear masks. “Buses have 44 seats, so now only 22 passengers can board and only one person can sit in a two-seater, in order to maintain social distancing,” said a senior official from the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC). The crew will wear masks and gloves, and there will be a hands-free sanitiser dispenser stand at the entrance of every bus for the public to use.
Until further government orders, MTC buses will not ply in Chengalpet, Arakkonam, and areas outside the corporation limits.
Metro rail, which has already readied a standard operating procedure, is expected to finetune it based on fresh guidelines from the Centre. An official said issuing of tokens will be dispensed with and QR code-based ticketing will be introduced in addition to the smart cards to ensure contactless entry and exit at the stations. The services were suspended at the end of March.
Sources said services may be stopped earlier than usual. “We are yet to take a decision on what all SOPs to follow,’ said an official.
Making the most of the opportunity to resume business, star hotels have started to reassure its customers about their safety standards. Zubin Songadwala, general manager of ITC Grand Chola, said, “Our safe practices start with pre-arrival check-in, safe car ride, security personnel in PPE, hand sanitisers at touchpoints, luggage sanitisation, remodelled receptions with WelcomSeparators, deep-cleaned and sanitised room allotment.” He also said restaurants will follow contactless dining while food will be delivered to rooms on sanitised IRD trolleys.