Guwahati: Although the lockdown restrictions have more or less been lifted in Guwahati, the plight of those associated with the city bus services in the city is continuing as the vehicles have still not been allowed on the roads.
The 700-odd city buses in Guwahatu have been standing idle as the Government considers it is still not "safe" for these buses, the livelihoods of many, to continue operating in the city premises. The future for the drivers, conductors, owners, remains uncertain.
Today, city bus owners in the city, expressing their woes, urged the Government to allow the resumption of the services on the city streets.
"We have not been able to pay for our EMIs. Our employees have been suffering. Either allow us or pay compensation to us," the owners of the city buses stated at a press conference of 4 motor transport unions.
The owners also stated that they are willing to follow the guidelines prescribed by the Government – such as social distancing and sanitization.
It needs memtion here that the city buses have not been allowed to run ever since the Government announced a lockdown after a novel coronavirus outbreak across the nation. Although they received a minor reprieve at the beginning of the unlock phase, lockdown was clamped again in June following a rapid surge in the number of coronavirus cases.