As the lockdown restrictions have eased down now, transportation services are gradually resuming across various states in India. However, the number of coronavirus cases in the country is still on the rise. With the pandemic scare becoming the new normal, the operational ways of various means of public transport are evolving too. A recent example can be drawn from Kolkata, where cabs and autos are making use of special plastic separators to ensure social distancing among the driver and the passengers. Read on to know the details.
Cabs And Autos In Kolkata Are Using Plastic Separators To Ensure Social Distancing
Transportation services had been suspended in India since 25th March 2020, after the Centre had declared a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Now, buses, taxis and more have finally started hitting the streets. To strengthen the safety measures, taxis and autos in Kolkata have introduced a very unique concept, and that’s plastic distancing. The notion of social distancing through plastic separators first started in Kolkata’s Bidhannagar and then gradually spread out to other places like Rajarhat, Saltlake and Newtown. Bidhannagar police authorities, who came up with the idea, believed that this concept would serve a twofold purpose. Firstly, it will help to maintain social distancing. And secondly, it will reduce the woes of the passengers and drivers of getting infected by the virus.
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What Else?
The cost of each of these barriers ranges between ₹200 and ₹250. The union leaders of various taxi and auto services in Kolkata are trying to ensure that the costs do not increase so that all drivers can afford and install them. Private cab aggregators like Ola and Uber have also installed isolators in their vehicles to enable safe travel amid the pandemic. More than 800 such cabs have already started operating in Kolkata. Meanwhile, a large number of office-goers in Kolkata are opting for alternatives to public transport to reach their workplaces. Some people, who work in the same officers, have taken up the option of carpooling. West Bengal CM Mamata Bannerjee has also announced that no actions can be taken now against the government employees if they reach late to their offices, considering the challenges.
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Kudos to such initiative by the transport authorities of West Bengal! We anticipate that other states too will soon take up similar initiatives.