Covid-19: BMTC staff to get 14-day special leave

BMTC employees who are identified as primary contacts of Covid-19 patients and those seeking treatment for the deadly infection on their own will get a special casual leave of 14 days.

The city public transporter took the decision after its employees, especially those seeking treatment on their own, expressed concerns about the availability of leave. The KSRTC has taken a similar decision.

With Bengaluru reporting 4,500-5,000 cases of Covid-19 every day for the past two weeks, BMTC bus drivers and conductors are worried because they come in contact with hundreds of people in the line of duty.

A BMTC employee urged the transporter to immediately restore the shifts to reduce the working hours, especially for drivers and conductors who are potentially exposed to the coronavirus.

A bus conductor explained the difficulties in enforcing the Covid-19 safety rules on BMTC buses.

"We have been told not to allow passengers beyond the capacity. But due to the limited number of bus services, there is always a rush of passengers who just don't listen to us and crowd the buses," he said.

While the BMTC is accepting digital payments to reduce cash transactions and human contact, not all bus conductors wear the QR code board, said Girish Prasad, a commuter. Even passengers don't seem to be going for digital payments, he added.