Telangana-AP resume bus service after lockdown eases

Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, November 2

The twin Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have made it easy for people living in the two states – many having family and other linkages across the interstate border – by resuming public transport.

The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) resumed bus service after seven months on Monday.

Andhra Pradesh has on the other hand gone a step further and started reopening schools after a gap of five months. The opening started in a phased manner with the schools welcoming the students of Class 10 and 12 on Monday.

A TSRTC official said that Telangana and Andhra Pradesh had mutually agreed upon routes for buses and other modalities and later signed an MoU so that people did not continue to face hardship.

Buses and trains are the main source of commute between places across the two states. Bus services between the states were suspended in March due to the nationwide lockdown in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Bus services began as both the corporations (TSRTC and APSRTC) signed the MoU,” the official said.

As per the MoU, TSRTC will ply 1.61 lakh km in AP with 826 buses, while Andhra Pradesh will run almost the same length with 638 vehicles in its neighbouring state, read a press release from the TSRTC.

Meanwhile, the AP Government has scheduled the schools to be held from 9.15 am to 1.45 pm, followed by midday meals. A maximum of 16 students are allowed in a classroom. Students were made to sit with wide spacing between them, leaving many benches vacant.

As per an official statement from the Education Department, all COVID-19 protocols would be followed that include thermal scanning at the school entrance.

The 2020-21 academic year has been extended to April 30 to ensure 180 working days.