What Preventive Measures Are RTC Buses Taking During COVID-19?

Being one of the most populous countries globally, India holds about 55 state RTCs that manages thousands of buses all over the nation and carries around 70 million people daily. Out of all the RTCs, some have outperformed services of many private companies. In the current scenario of Covid-19, where people are refraining from traveling, some RTC buses of the country are concerned about their safety and ensure that all the precautionary measures are being taken on their buses. Also, these buses have a special RTC bus stand in the respective cities. Bus reservation to these RTC services can be made online via redBus.

Considering the number of RTC buses in the fleet, passenger count, and the quality of services, following is the list of top 10 RTCs of India along with the safety measures being carried out in their buses.

UPSRTC

Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation is well-known for strict adherence to RTC bus timings and scheduled departures. In the wake of Covid-19, the following actions are being taken by UPSRTC:

• To guide the employees of UPSRTC, the Managing Director of UPSRTC has made an explanatory video educating the workforce about the importance of Social Distancing and ways to deal with passengers onboard.
• Face masks, gloves, and hand-sanitizers are provided to the staff members, and all the passengers are required to wear masks while traveling.
• Buses are washed properly before every trip
• Temperatures of employees are checked at regular intervals to ensure proper safety
• Passengers are required to undergo Thermal Screening at the RTC bus stand before boarding the bus.

GSRTC

Catering to almost 40 lakh passengers through its RTC buses daily, Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation ensures that the measures mentioned below are being taken on its buses:

• It is made sure that no GSRTC bus passes through the areas labeled as ‘Containment Zones’ by the authorities.
• All the buses are properly sanitized before letting the passengers board them.
• E-wallet and e-payment methods are being recognized and appreciated by GSRTC.
• No passenger is allowed to step on the bus without wearing a face mask.

DTC

Distinguished as one of the largest CNG-powered bus services globally, Delhi Transport Corporation strictly adheres to the Government’s guidelines. Precautionary measures taken in DTC buses are:

• Air-Conditioning is regulated to ensure the maximum circulation of fresh air in the buses.
• Contactless ticketing is done to avoid any kind of direct physical contact or crowding at the RTC bus stand.
• Passengers are encouraged to book tickets online to avoid the usage of currency notes.
• All the boarding and dropping points in containment zones are inoperable.
• Buses are washed regularly.
• Masks are mandatory for all the individuals traveling on the bus.

HRTC

The following measures are being taken on the buses operated by Himachal Road Transport Corporation:

• A limited number of passengers are allowed to board the bus to ensure social distancing.
• HRTC provides masks to the passengers, and hand-sanitizers are made available on the buses.
• Buses are disinfected after every trip.
• To avoid mass gathering at the RTC bus stand’s ticket counters, online booking should be made.

TSRTC

Telangana State Road Transport Corporation serves almost 90 lakh passengers daily. It makes sure that all the passengers traveling with TSRTC are safe by implementing the following safety measures in the buses:

• Staff members of TSRTC are educated about their safe-conduct on the buses.
• Passengers are not provided with personal blankets to avoid any direct or indirect contact.
• All the buses are deep cleaned.
• Hand-sanitizers are available for everyone on the bus.

APSRTC

Being a well-known bus company, Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation safeguards its passengers’ lives while traveling by providing a safe journey in these testing times of Covid-19. A list of safety measures taken in RTC buses serving Andhra Pradesh state is listed below:

• APSRTC has transformed its 36-seater bus into a 26-seater bus with three rows to take care of physical distancing.
• All the employees of APSRTC are provided smartphones so that they can accept online payments from the passengers for their APSRTC bus reservation.
• Every APSRTC bus is deep cleaned after every trip.
• Wearing a mask is paramount.

MSRTC

Owning almost 18000 buses, Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation considers passenger safety as its utmost priority. It implements the following safety guidelines on its buses :

• Several passengers on an MSRTC bus are regulated to avoid social contact.
• Masks, hand-sanitizers, and gloves are provided to all the staff members.
• Passengers are directed to wear face masks in the bus.
• Hygiene and sanitization of buses are regularly maintained.

TNSTC

Operating on various routes, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation prioritizes the passengers’ safety over anything else. The company adheres to the safety norms laid down by the Indian Government.

• A high degree of cleanliness and sanitization activities are carried out in TNSTC buses.
• Personal blankets or linen is not provided to the passengers on the buses.
• The passengers are required to wear face masks throughout the trip.
• The seating is modified to ensure physical distancing.
• Hand-sanitizers are available for all the passengers traveling on the bus.

KRTC

Being the oldest yet the best bus company, Kerala Road Transport Corporation follows all the guidelines to fight COVID-19.

• The 39-seater buses have been transformed into 29-seaters, and the row in the middle is to be left unoccupied to maintain the required gap while sitting.
• KSRTC provides hand-sanitizers in the buses.
• Passengers are not allowed to board the bus without masks.
• Thermal screening has strictly been put in place.
• KSRTC staff is properly guided about their conduct with the passengers on the buses.
• Online Kerala SRTC bus booking and online payment are well appreciated to avoid manual ticketing.