Standard operating procedures go for a toss at Rohtak bus stand

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, June 29

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the Centre regarding travel in buses are not being followed at the Rohtak depot of Haryana Roadways.

A visit to the local bus stand found that neither were all buses being disinfected nor was thermal scanning of passengers being done. Masks were being provided to the driver and conductor.

As per guidelines, every bus needs to be disinfected after all passengers disembark. No bus coming from other depots was being sanitised.

‘Have to sanatise bus’

I have to sanitise my bus with a spray machine used in farming. Washing being done at the workshop is not enough to protect us from infection. I take the machine from my house to disinfect the bus. —Haryana Roadways driver

“I have to sanitise my bus with a spray machine used in farming. Washing being done at the workshop is not enough to protect us from infection. I take the machine from my house to disinfect the bus,” said a driver on the condition of anonymity. “My brother dropped me inside on a motorcycle, but no thermal scanning was done,” said Vinay, a student.

An official said it was not practically feasible to depute an employee with each bus for thermal scanning of ever passenger before boarding.

Jai Kanwar Dahiya, state office secretary, Haryana Roadways Workers Union, said all buses were sanitised initially, but hardly any bus was being disinfected now. Every bus was being washed daily, he added.

Naveen Kumar, traffic manager, claimed that SOPs were being followed seriously. Surender Siwach, workshop manager, said buses were being sanitised when being brought to the workshop for refuelling.