Bus owners & employees in dire straits due to COVID-19 pandemic

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The present COVID-19 pandemic situation has landed the bus owners and their employees in the doldrums.

The State secretary of AIRTWF (All India Road Transport Workers Federation), Biren Sarma said, "If the passengers can travel, how come there are obstacles regarding the bus passengers.

The AIRTWF leader added, "The government must extend help to us. Road Tax must be stopped, and additional time should be given for the repayment of loans. The inter-district bus services are hit hard during the pandemic phase.

With the Coronavirus SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) strictly in place from the authorities side, most of the almost 20,000 public-utility services are now off the roads.

As many such vehicles are lying idle for more than around two months, some of them are also starting to have mechanical issues.

Now the bus owners are worried as to whether they would be able to pay their EMI. They have not been able to pay their staff members.

Also read: Guwahati: Financially Constrained City Buses Flout COVID-19 Protocol by Running with Passengers Full

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