Drive for inoculating transport workers starts in 4 places

KOLKATA: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Tuesday started vaccination drive for transport workers within the age group of 18 to 45 years at four locations in Kolkata and Howrah. Firhad Hakim, the chairman of Board of Administrators, KMC visited the camp at Maidan Tent in the morning and supervised the special inoculation camp.

Vaccination of 100 persons was carried out on the first day. KMC has set a target of inoculating 300 persons per day.

"Drivers of commercial vehicles like buses, auto rickshaws, taxi and app cabs are at a higher risk of getting infected with Coronavirus considering their nature of work. So, we are holding special camps for inoculating them on priority basis. The drive has started at Taratala bus depot, Salt Lake bus depot, Howrah and here at Maidan Tent. Similar, camps will be held at the bus depots in districts too," Hakim said.

Interestingly, Hakim has also been awarded the portfolio of the Transport department in Mamata Banerjee's third Cabinet. Special camp is also being organised at Ahindra Mancha auditorium in Chetla for the hawkers and newspaper vendors. Presently, due to scarcity of vaccine doses only a second dose of the vaccine is being administered to beneficiaries in the state.

"We would have started vaccination for people in the age group of 18 to 45 years. But, lack of planning on the part of the Centre has led to shortage of vaccine doses. So, we have been compelled to categorise the recipients and those who are at a higher risk are being inoculated first through special camps," he added.

The drivers have to walk into these camps with their respective driving licenses and will be vaccinated on a first-come-first- served basis.