NEW DELHI: If Union Roadways minister Nitin Gadkari’s words are any indication, the country will soon see buses and other modes of public transportation resuming services.

“Public transportation will soon resume its operations in the country with a set of guidelines,” said Gadkari on Wednesday. The minister hinted at the possibility of opening the Public transportation while addressing a video-conference meeting with the representatives of Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India.

Public transportation which is the basic means of travelling for the common man remains shut and the buses have been off the roads since March 24 due to ongoing COVID-19 lockdown.

According to some reports, the Centre may announce its decision to run buses in all the green and orange zones across the nation after the proposed lockdown ends on May 17. However there will be certain restrictions in the red zones. Red zones are the areas across the country where Coronavirus pandemic is still observed to be severe. The possibility of running buses in the red zones is remote in view of the high-risk potential in the face of a renewed mass movement.

The minister however has urged people in orange and green zones to stay alert to follow the Centre’s guidelines and take precautionary measures like social distancing, wearing face masks and sanitising hands regularly if bus services are resumed in these areas.

The Centre has eased certain restrictions for the convenience of states and allowed certain industries and other sectors to resume activity in the green and orange zones across the country.

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