Hyderabad city sprang to life after 58 days of total corona lockdown

Hyderabad: Hyderabad city sprang to life after 58 days of total lockdown. Buses and autos were back roads on Tuesday. Citizens proved that they refuse to change as traffic violations and not following Covid-19 protocols were witnessed at many places.

With the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) operating inter-district buses, opening of government, private offices and shops, and return of cabs and auto-rickshaws, the traffic volume reached near pre-lockdown level in the city's core areas. The police removed barricades to facilitate smooth flow of traffic. The barricades, however, continued in containment zones where no activity is permitted. With all the shops allowed to be opened, the Old City buzzed with activity as people went out for shopping.

Though autorickshaws are not supposed to carry more that two passengers, at many places it was normal situation with three passengers plus a child. At Putlibowli, an autorickshaw hit the divider. The driver was found to be in inebriated condition. This has now made the police to think whether they should resume the drunk driving tests.

In the Old City, there were several instances when the police had to stop autos that were plying with many passengers and also two men at wheel. At Jubilee bus station and Uppal bus station, passengers coming from other districts to Hyderabad were more compared to outward traffic. The passenger footfall was limited on the first day of the operations.

The TSRTC resumed their bus services from 6 am across the State on Tuesday after the government gave relaxations in the lockdown norms allowing movement of buses. Since Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS) at Imblibun which is considered the biggest bus station in the State falls under a containment zone, remained closed, all the district buses were diverted to the Jubilee Bus Station at Secunderabad.

According to the depot officials, generally 1,053 buses are routed from JBS to different places in the State. The official said that up to 6.50 pm on Tuesday, 167 buses arrived at JBS carrying nearly 5,000 passengers from places like Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Siddipet, Medak, Mahbubnagar and other places. The authorities of the depot sanitised buses and depot premises with sodium hypochlorite. The conductors and the drivers were seen carrying sanitiser bottles.

The conductors sprayed sanitisers on the hands of passengers before entering the bus. "We issued tickets only to those passengers who were wearing face masks. The conductors are ensuring that the social distancing is maintained in buses. They were directed not to allow standing passengers to ensure social distancing and are making sure that the seat next to a passenger remains vacant," said JBS depot manager S Praneeth.