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Dimapur, Nov. 5 (EMN): After a gap of more than seven months, Nagaland State Transport (NST) city buses in Dimapur resumed its service on Thursday with 50% seating capacity, but there was not a single passenger for the first two trips, according to the station master.
The last run of city buses before the pandemic-induced lockdown started was on March 21.
Speaking to Eastern Mirror, the station master informed that there were some takers for the public transport in the afternoon as some passengers started to trickle in. He expressed hope that the numbers will improve in the coming days.
The buses will operate from Monday to Saturday, from 6 am to around 7 pm, he said, adding that as per SOP, the 32-seater buses will carry a maximum of 16 passengers (50% occupancy) per trip.
He stated that they are providing sanitisers, face masks and face shields to the drivers and conductors and also PPE suits if necessary.
‘We have already informed our staff that social distancing should be maintained and only 16 passengers should be carried (at a time),’ he stated and asserted that if the drivers and conductors fail to obey the order, action will be taken against them.
‘Today (November 5) we are operating six city buses and more buses will be added in the coming days. So we are expecting around seven to eight city buses to run every day,’ he informed.
Regarding the fare, he said that the rate from the bus station till Chümoukedima before the lockdown was only INR 25, but it has been increased to INR 40 now.
Even then, he asserted, the fare is much lower than autorickshaws and the department is also ensuring that all SOPs are strictly followed. He is confident that these factors will attract more passengers in the coming days.
The official asserted that the buses won’t be crowded due to the SOP guidelines and that all passengers will be made to wear face mask before boarding the bus.
Also, the pink bus service, which was initially meant exclusively for women, will now be open for all, he said. Seats on the left side will be reserved for women and the other side for all ‘because if we carry only women, we get fewer passengers’, he added.
A middle-aged woman passenger, who took the city bus on Thursday, expressed relief that the transport services have resumed in Dimapur. She said that travelling on autorickshaws have become expensive, especially these days.
‘For me, travelling by bus is better because it not only saves me money but the ride is also more comfortable,’ she shared.
The assistant general manager of NST has also issued a circular regarding the fare from the Dimapur station: INR 10 till Burma Camp police point, Zion Hospital junction, Hollohon petrol pump, Padumpukhuri gate; INR 20 till Aoyimti junction, ARTC junction, Chekiye gate, Airport junction, Diphupar junction, Centrail Jail junction; INR 30 till Green Park junction, Unity Village junction, Bamboo Resource, Sovima Village gate, 7th Mile Model Village, Tenyiphe-I gate, Khuovarü gate; and INR 40 till Chümoukedima Bazaar, 2nd gate Chümoukedima, and 1st gate Chümoukedima.