The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will resume its services today after two months. As the bus service resumes in Bengaluru, fresh concerns have popped up, as just 10 percent of BMTC workers have received two doses of Covid vaccination. The corporation has assured that only vaccinated people will be deployed to work. However, according to the latest updates, it has been learned that BMTC employees who have received just the first dose of vaccine will be also deployed to work from today.
Delay in receiving a second dose creating havoc
According to several study reports, receiving a second shot is not completely capable to protect a person from the coronavirus infection. Studies are currently going on in various parts of the globe to determine whether further booster shots are needed to curb the spread of the Covid pandemic. However, in India, the government has increased the gap between the first and second doses of the Covid vaccine, and it is one of the main reasons why BMTC employees still have not received that crucial second shot.
According to BMTC, the initial days will see 2,000 BMTC buses hitting the road, and after assessing the demand for public transport, more buses will be deployed to service.
Crowding in buses bothering authorities
One of the main challenges BMTC will face as they start operations will be crowding in buses. Even though BMTC has reintroduced Covid social distancing rules by allowing only 50 percent occupancy, authorities believe that this strategy will work only with public cooperation.
It should be noted that Bengaluru city has more than 10,000 bus stops, and it will be practically impossible for BMTC to run with 50 percent occupancy unless commuters decide to follow Covid social distancing norms. BMTC is also encouraging commuters to use contactless digital payments to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
