Public transport, which has been shut since the first lockdown announcement on March 24, may soon be in operation, roadways minister Nitin Gadkari assured transporters on Wednesday.
Opening of transport and highways will go a long way in instilling confidence among the public, said the minister, adding that public transport may open soon with some guidelines.
He, however, cautioned towards maintaining social distance and adopting all safety measures like hand wash, sanitising, face masks, etc while operating buses and cars.
The minister was addressing the members of Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India through video conferencing.
The nationwide lockdown, necessitated by the coronavirus outbreak, is in place till May 17. No railway, flight services are allowed in this period.
However, the railways did run over 100 Shramik Special trains to ferry stranded migrants.
Gadkari expressed confidence that the country and its industry will together win both the battles – the one with coronavirus, and the one with economic slowdown.
Members of the confederation made suggestions for improving the condition of public transport which include extending interest payment exemptions, restarting public transport, extending age life limit, deferring state taxes, extending MSME benefits, extending insurance policy validity, etc.
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