[blackwasp]

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has eased travel restrictions from today. As part of the measures, the buses operated by the transport body can now carry 100% passengers compared to the earlier 50% occupancy.

Services between Mumbai & Pune as well as other places by both intercity air-conditioned (AC) and non-AC buses will operate at regular capacity. The move comes as per the easing of restrictions due to Covid-19 pandemic. All passengers will be required to wear masks and carry hand sanitizers.

Despite a fleet of 18,000 buses, MSRTC is operating only 5,000 vehicles and currently 5.5 lakh passengers use these buses on a daily basis. In Mumbai, BEST operates buses with only 25 sitting and 5 passengers standing.



Source

Link to the Team-BHP News

[Hrishi_111]

While social distancing and other Covid preventive measures are likely to go for a toss with this, Government had no choice available either. MSRTC has been suffering through huge losses and frontline employees like drivers and conductors are not paid for months.
Don’t know whether we shall consider this as a 'sign' of life resuming to pre-pandemic level or just another decision which we might regret later.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has eased travel restrictions from today. As part of the measures, the buses operated by the transport body can now carry 100% passengers compared to the earlier 50% occupancy.

With this - I believe the authorities should formally accept defeat & at least stop the farce going on in the name of preventive measures. Barring immense inconvenience to common citizen, the current rules and regulations are achieving absolutely nothing in MH state.

MSRTC buses carrying 55 un-screened passengers is fine - while a family of 3 (that lives together) traveling in their own car without a mask can draw a fine based on the mood of the individual at the junction. Just doesn't make sense. Clearly MSRTC's revenue, jobs and survival depends on the buses running full capacity. So passengers should take their own care henceforth. We all accept this as inevitable. Just at the same time stop abusing others too. Its now been plenty months that people have had time to learn new ways of safe living. Let them now decide & chose whats best for them - given that the state government is deciding whats best for its own corporations.

[libranof1987]

To put it very mildly, what an absolute trash show by the State authorities. On one hand, there's news on possible pseudo lockdown in Pune and Mumbai, growing no. of cases and lockdowns/containment zones in villages and towns, and then there's this.

As we've been told, we're on our own.

[chieftain]

Just ignoring the pandemic won't make it go away !!!

Taxes are sky high in this country but it seems they are all squandered on the likes of 260 cr bridges which collapse 1 month after inauguration, so desperate measures are needed to keep the boat afloat.

[07CR]

High time the authorities accept the defeat to COVID-19, both at state and National level.

I see this as a huge accelerator in the spread of Covid, and in effect will put not only those using these MSRTC services in danger, but in some way or other, all of us.

This reminds me of a scene in Chernobyl series, where the people are observing the nuclear station fire from a distance of about 3-4 kilometres on a bridge. It was a scenic view and no body knew about the dangers associated with. Apparently, all of them died (due to radiation side effects) within 30-60 days interval, and the bridge is now called the bridge of death.

[spr1ngleo]

And then there is a 14 day home quarantine for all domestic passengers arriving at Pune airport. No wonder, our country is a nation of extreme contrasts.

[BashfulKlutz]

As if the sting of the vehicle GST at 28% (not including other taxes), combined with the vehicle age limit in Delhi-NCR (10 years for diesel cars, 15 years for petrol cars, hence limiting the value proposition of buying used) was not enough, now using public transport is highly dangerous as well. It seems like no one is taking cognisance of the fact that COVID-19 can leave permanent damage in one's body, even if one survives the disease. I understand this announcement is meant for Maharashtra, but this "full-capacity allowance" may be emulated across India as well. What a mentally debilitating time this is to be living in!

[spr1ngleo]

Originally Posted by BashfulKlutz

COVID-19 can leave permanent damage in one's body, even if one survives the disease

Source? No offence but I think this is little far fetched. Unless the person has been through the ventilator support for a considerable duration of time, it is just like any other viral attack. IMHO.

[BashfulKlutz]

Originally Posted by spr1ngleo

Source? No offence but I think this is little far fetched. Unless the person has been through the ventilator support for a considerable duration of time, it is just like any other viral attack. IMHO.

None taken.

This might be a bold statement to make, but I guess the ignominy of my being proven wrong will be preferable. I don't have conclusive evidence, but a quick Google search about "COVID-19 permanent damage" (I forgot the exact keywords) yielded disappointingly supportive evidence, some of which I am hyperlinking here.

1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Being a recently-graduated microbiology student, admittedly, my research on this disease has been disgracefully low as well. I aim to rectify that in a little while.

[AMG1]

Originally Posted by BashfulKlutz

As if the sting of the vehicle GST at 28% (not including other taxes), combined with the vehicle age limit in Delhi-NCR (10 years for diesel cars, 15 years for petrol cars, hence limiting the value proposition of buying used) was not enough, now using public transport is highly dangerous as well. It seems like no one is taking cognisance of the fact that COVID-19 can leave permanent damage in one's body, even if one survives the disease. I understand this announcement is meant for Maharashtra, but this "full-capacity allowance" may be emulated across India as well. What a mentally debilitating time this is to be living in!

I shouldn't have read your statement!, currently myself and mother have COVID & are undergoing treatment. Lost a dear neighbor & will make sure none of his 8 members strong COVID positive family manage to read your statement.
We took utmost care, rarely ventured out even for essentials but still caught the dreaded virus.

Yes- what MH is doing is wrong, but your posts sure has made us gloomy!

[anjan_c2007]

Yes indeed it's a brash and ill thought of decision by whosoever at the helm to operate buses with a full capacity. The reality is that the MSRTC buses though armed with such a "licence to kill" is unable to run to even 30-40 % of its capacity on most routes. But there could be a few such routes where the occupancy rates could be much higher and at dangerous levels. Maharashtra is a huge state and it's tough to keep an eye on the crowded routes.

The fact behind the decision was that the MSRTC was unable to pay it's salaries for its staff during the lockdown times and to sustain itself, they had the government's nod for such an illogical decision.

Also, during the worst of times, MSRTC was innovative enough to think "out of the box" and convert their old buses in running condition into luggage and parcel carriers. They have earned Rs 10 crores during the past few months with this novel idea. More such innovative ideas could have been floated like making available the MSRTC bus or even truck body building facilities/ workshops to the general public for their commercial vehicle chassis' to work upon and earn money rather than allowing he dreaded 100 % occupancy in buses.

[BashfulKlutz]

Originally Posted by AMG1

I shouldn't have read your statement!, currently myself and mother have COVID & are undergoing treatment. Lost a dear neighbor & will make sure none of his 8 members strong COVID positive family manage to read your statement.
We took utmost care, rarely ventured out even for essentials but still caught the dreaded virus.

Yes- what MH is doing is wrong, but your posts sure has made us gloomy!

At the risk of going further (dear moderators, please forgive me for this),
I fervently hope you and your family will recover very soon. One of the articles does say that SARS patients showed signs of recovery, so I'm hopeful the same will be true for COVID-19 patients as well. Also, the probability of permanent effects occurring through the disease is said to be low in previously healthy patients. There is also the fact that news media (not just in India, but the US, and other well-respected fora like Reddit's r/coronavirus thread, the latter perhaps unintentionally) have created an overwhelmingly negative energy on this pandemic and this accursed disease. This is why I have stopped watching or reading news related to the coronavirus, only occasionally updating myself about the current number of cases in our country.

[VKumar]

I am still unable to make out what's so special about the news to be featured here?

Already in UP, Uttarakhand and Haryana, I am seeing buses running on full capacity and even being over crowded, and it's the same way since August.