Dehi’s ISBTs reopen, 1542 buses come on Day 1; social distancing norms go for a toss

As interstate bus services resumed in Delhi after more than seven months, the scene at the city’s two major bus terminals (ISBTs), at Kashmere Gate and Anand Vihar, were in stark contrast. While Kashmere Gate had mostly all Covid-19 safety mechanisms in place, the latter was in disarray.

On Day 1, 542 interstate buses carrying over 20,000 passengers arrived in the Capital through the three ISBTs (the third of which is at Sarai Kale Khan) till 5.30 pm. Passengers arrived from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, with some returning to the city for work, and many others travelling to celebrate Diwali with their friends and family.

The Kashmere Gate ISBT saw a fair rush in the morning, with long queues at the entry gate as passengers were thermally screened and frisked using contactless devices, while staff members sanitised luggage inside the premises.

Yet, social distancing norms were often thrown to the wind as people would rush in a horde, jostling to either get entry to the terminal, collect their luggage or to buy a ticket. Despite a properly designed waiting area, people crowded the narrow bus bays, even while drivers waited patiently till all the seats were occupied.

Kavalpreet Kaur, who arrived at Kashmere Gate ISBT from Punjab on Tuesday morning pointed out that the terminal did not have any Covid-19 testing centre or camp for those who voluntarily wanted to get themselves checked.

“I travelled all night in a bus that was full of passengers. A Covid testing centre here would not just help me, but also the city administration to identify and quarantine those who have the infection,” she said.

Apart from a few security guards at the entry gate, Kashmere Gate ISBT had absolutely no police officer, district official or civil defence volunteer to warn or prosecute violators of Covid-19 norms.

The situation was much worse at the other two ISBTs, especially at Anand Vihar, which shares its border with Uttar Pradesh.

On Tuesday, the Anand Vihar ISBT received 257 interstate buses, followed by 242 buses in Kashmere Gate and 43 buses at Sarai Kale Khan.

Despite being host to the most passengers, the Anand Vihar ISBT was short of proper arrangements. Four people were deployed for screening and sanitisation, two of who were deployed to check the temperatures of only the driver and conductor, and two others who sanitised buses — mostly from the outside.

The Anand Vihar terminal had no facilities to thermally screening passengers, or to sanitise their luggage. It also did not have any sanitiser spray available for public-use. Female passengers, said they were especially hassled, saying the washroom was too dirty to use.

Several also complained about passengers’ displaying a lack of hygiene.

Yadunath Singh, and his family were boarding a bus from Anand Vihar ISBT, headed for his hometown in Ram Nagar, Uttarakhand, to celebrate Diwali.

“I am fed up of people spitting here. This problem is peculiar to Anand Vihar ISBT. Don’t people know that Covid-19 spreads from droplets? There is not a single official to prosecute violators. While walking around the ISBT, most passengers had their masks either on their chin or hanging from their ears,” said an angry Singh.

The testing centre, located between the bus terminal and Metro station, was not conducting any Covid-19 tests when HT visited the facility at 4pm.

A district official deployed to oversee testing there said they wrapped up by 3.30pm. “We do 1,000-2,000 tests daily, most of which are performed using the rapid antigen method. The most RT-PCR tests we have conducted at this facility are around 300 on a single day. Very few have tested positive so far, but we immediately send those who do to the Covid Care Centre at Akshardham on an ambulance,” said an official deployed there.

KK Dahiya, managing director of the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC) Limited that manages and operates all the ISBTs, said people are being de-boarded at the entry gate of the ISBTs, from where they are being allowed to leave for their respective destinations in the city.

“There was no crowding observed on day one, as the number of buses allowed to enter the terminal has been slashed to 50% until November 15. Moreover, it was the first day, so fewer buses arrived. The number will gradually go up,” Dahiya said.

Before the onset of the pandemic, the three ISBTs would witness a combined footfall of over 250,000 every day. On a daily basis, there were 3,500 trips of interstate buses and 2,000 trips of local buses.

According to the SOP prepared by the Delhi government, interstate buses have to be sanitised by the respective depots of bus operators at the point of origin and before departure from the respective ISBT. The conductors or the drivers of interstate buses were also to submit a certificate issued by the respective depot of the bus being thoroughly sanitised, but only five such certificates of the 257 buses that arrived at Anand Vihar were submitted at the terminal. The story was same for the other two terminals as well.