Bhubaneswar: Bus services are resuming services across the State from Monday after a suspension of around two and a half months by following strict COVID guidelines.

The Government has decided to start playing only 2,000 buses out of the total number of 16,000 buses which provide a well connected public transport across the state, according to the source.

With adherence to the strict COVID guidelines the buses are restricted from overloading the passengers as precautionary measures. The government has directed a strict instruction that no passengers will get into the bus without mask and nor they will be allowed to travel in standing position.

As per ground reports from major bus stands in the State, heavy inflow of passengers has been seen as compared to the number of vehicles.

“The buses have been properly sanitised before allowing the passengers to get inside the vehicle. We are following all the COVID guidelines by not taking more passengers than the number of seats, also conveying to the passengers about keeping physical distance intact”. a bus staff said.

Intra-state public transport had been suspended since May 5 after the imposition of a state-wide lockdown with the upsurge of the second wave COVID-19. As a result the buses have been standing off the road for several days which is why the buses are not in a condition to run due to lack of maintenance and needed urgent maintenance.

-OdishaAge