How Ggm's poor public transportation is adding to COVID-19 woes

gurugram: While it is not in dispute that COVID-19 cases here have jumped since the city began to unlock and economic activities were permitted, what is adding to the severity of the pandemic in the city is the limited public transportation.

The shared diesel autos, private buses, CNG autos and e-auto rickshaws have been allowed to function in Gurugram and there are reports of how most of these public transportations are openly flouting social distancing norms. It is estimated that there are 20,000 autos and 160 private buses are operational in the city.

With most of the factories and the commercial units now operational in Gurugram most people are dependent on the limited and scarce public transportation system in the city for their mobility. Moreover, there are a large number of illegally registered cabs that provide mobility to areas like Delhi, Noida and Faridabad and are seeing large numbers of passengers using its services.

It is important to note here that even as Gurugraman — the public city bus service — has seen an increase in ridership numbers. Moreover, there have also been new routes that have been added in recent days so that more passengers are at convenience and use the public transportation system in

the city.

Despite high ridership, the services of Gurugraman are still proving to be inadequate for thousands of people who have to depend on other sources of transportation for their mobility.

At a time when high air pollution is resulting in the deterioration of air quality levels in Gurugram, many residents highlight how poor public transportation is also one of the major factors contributing to this situation. While residents claim that there has been a bit of improvement with the introduction of Gurugraman, a lot still needs to be done in enhancing the public transportation system in Gurugram, they say.

"I do not have my own vehicle so I have to depend on the shared auto to go to my factory that is located in Udyog Vihar. I take my precautions and wear masks but since the auto is crowded and congested, I am at the risk of getting infected," said Ramadhir.

Jeetendra, one of the drivers of a shared auto said, "We are wearing masks and making sure that we maintain precautions. It is easy for many people to criticise the social distancing norms but also be empathetic and think about us. We also need to operate and sustain ours and our family's livelihoods so we need to operate."