Travelling costs likely to shoot up

Gurgaon: With the probability of imposition of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) looming large, travelling costs are expected to shoot up due to the restriction on the number of people in public transport. Only 50% of commuters are allowed on autorickshaws, e-rickshaws and buses.

Auto drivers say that they will be forced to double the prices in case they are not allowed to carry more commuters. Around 13,000 autos are currently plying in the city and most carry more passengers than their capacity, in violation of Covid norms.

Meanwhile, doctors have expressed concerns over flouting of Covid safety norms in public transport, warning that such violations are ideal for the spread of the virus. People jostling at bus and auto stands to catch public transport is a common sight in the city.

“We can clearly see people are not abiding by Covid safety protocols and this is definitely a matter of concern for us. The problem is that those who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms are travelling on public transport,” said Dr Chandan, a private practitioner.

“If restrictions are again imposed, we will definitely increase fares. Drivers are unable to follow all the guidelines like sanitising the vehicles after each ride and putting plastic sheets between passengers as we are unable to bear these expenses,” said Kamal Deep, an auto driver at MG Road.

Bus owners too said they would increase fares for long routes. “We have been incurring losses due to various factors. If we provide two sleeper seats to one person, it will cause huge losses for us,” said Harinder Singh, a bus owner.