Sanitise public transport, build trust to beckon people

As the city prepares for the post-COVID-19 lockdown period, the worst fears on the economic front are getting too close to reality. But there are also other concerns, the most perceptible of which is transportation.

The big concern is this: People will switch to personal transport from public transport to get away from fears of crowding. The city, which had struggled to control the traffic for years, will struggle if a large section of the society comes out with personal cars and two-wheelers galore.

DH interacts with a cross-section of Bengalureans to understand how this will pan out post-lockdown.

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Reno P Mathew, a resident of Ramamurthy Nagar says, “The danger of people switching to private or personal transport post-COVID-19 lockdown can be dangerous but it is a precaution.”

Using public transport during this period, he feels, could lead to increased health hazards and social distancing would become an issue.

He suggests a few ideas to mitigate traffic congestion. “The public can use bicycles to commute within a radius of five kms. Companies could switch to Work from Home (WFH) to reduce the movement of people from home to offices and back.”

Also Read: Wanted: Crowd-free buses in Bengaluru after lockdown

Another option could be to have office timings regulated by the government for each sector. “For example, login and log out hours of the companies should not overlap with the start timing of the educational institutions and also the movement of commercial vehicles should be allowed only at a specific time slot within the city,” he suggests.

The lockdown has already brought big financial stress on the public transport system. Besides the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), the IRCTC too has seen huge economical losses after a decade.

A Christ University student residing in Ulsoor, Anugraha Madhav explains, “Public transport is fairly integral to our economy. Not all can choose to use private transportation and everybody switching to it is not viable in the long term, both from an economic and environmental standpoint.”

The truth, she says, “is this virus has instilled a fear of crowded spaces. A possible solution could be to increase the number of public transport services and allowing only a certain number of people inside.”

The days of ‘swalpa adjust maadi’ are over. “The public transport systems should be sanitised regularly to ensure not just the safety of passengers but also the drivers and conductors.
The only way to avoid congestion due to traffic is to take proper measures to sanitise the public transport including trains, metro and buses.”

Research scholar Libin Thomas opines that the switch to private transport may have a huge impact on public transport when things begin to get back on track. “The major challenges that the government will face include averting the crisis that currently plagues public transport and keeping it clean.”

However, he feels, the stigma surrounding public transport will be around for quite some time. “It is up to the individuals to ensure that they maintain good personal hygiene and distance themselves in public. The government must ensure proper sanitisation of public vehicles regularly to gain people’s trust. The government must also promote the use of public transport and safe carpooling practices,” he says.

The unprecedented spread of the pandemic has created so much fear in the minds of people that they are likely to take a long time getting adjusted to a new normal post lockdown.

Gloria Benny, software engineer with Shell, notes, “It is not easy to let go of the inhibitions and apprehensions brought in by the virus and rebound to the pre-pandemic state. Till the dust settles down, understandably most people would prefer private vehicles over the public.”

This, she agrees, might end up causing temporary clogging of streets till public apprehensions over public transport
vanish.