COVID-19 SOPs goes for toss, public transport resort to overloading

Srinagar: While the medical experts have predicted the third wave of Covid -19, and the State Executive Committee (SEC) has still continued with SOPs, not many are following the prescribed guidelines.

Many commuters said that while using the public transport, the Covid Sops has gone for a toss, after the passenger vehicles not only run at the full seating capacity but are overloading.

“Once all the seats are occupied by passengers, the drivers still continue to board more passengers, where physical distance goes for toss,” said a commuter.

Ibrahim who daily travels from city outskirts to Lal chowk said, the passenger vehicles not only board passengers at full seating capacity, but also jam pack their vehicles with extra passengers.

“Many times I tried to advise drivers not to board extra passengers, but they hardly pay any heed towards the request,” he said.

The bus drivers, however, refused to speak in this regard.

Meanwhile, ARTO Manzoor Ahmed currently incharge of RTO Kashmir, said that they have been making regular inspections and transport associations have been told to increase the number of vehicles specially in peak hours to avoid the overloading.

“Today we had meeting with the transport associations and they were directed to increase the number of passenger vehicles on the routes which witness heavy flow of passengers during the peak hours, and from tomorrow we will intensify the inspection drive and whosoever will be found violating the Covid Sops will be dealt as per the law,” he said. (KNO)

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