Guwahati: The COVID-19 pandemic ever since its beginning has affected the daily livelihood of millions of people in the world but among the most affected are the once engaged with public transport. Similarly, due to the pandemic, the most affected communities are the once linked with public transport.
There are thousands of reports which claim that following the measures related to the ban of inter-district transport, the livelihoods of the bus operators linked with inter-district and inter-state transportation have been hit in the worst possible way.
Speaking to MyNews NE, a few bus drivers and conductors expressed their views and issues due to the lockdowns, curfews and other restrictions due to the pandemic.
Dibakar Guha, a bus driver who has not been able take his massive sleeper bus on its daily schedule said, “It has been almost 4 months that our bus has been sitting ideal at the depot. Our bus which travels from Guwahati to Dibrugarh on a regular basis is now sitting ideal with most of its movable parts being affected with rust and mechanical problems.”
He added, “The loss due to the restrictions seem to be massive and now were not even being able to feed our families.”
Guha claimed that all his savings were spent on ration in these past few months.
Ataur Rahman, a conductor of one such bus stated that they travel to Upper Assam daily and this would feed at least five families. But, now with loses going on, they are left with no source of income and the families are suffering.
Some of the bus owners claimed that they might soon lose their buses and banks have started sending them notice over the nonpayment of installments. One bus has a liability of at least 1 lakh to 1.80 lakh a month but there is barely any hope left for these bus operators.
Some of the buses are in such a way that the tires are starting to wear off as they haven’t been moved in months which some buses are in a state that they look like they have been abandoned.
Bus operators across the state have urged the government to take measures so that their business can survive and they can all live a life with “dignity”.