Hyderabad: In the earliest glimpses of life after the first of its kind lockdown in the country, Hyderabad saw masked faces everywhere, shops insisting on sanitising hands before entering, on maintaining physical distance and people returning to the routine but in a gingerly manner. It was no different in major towns across the State as people returned to their normal activity.
Offices resumed work, shops of all kinds reopened and cabs, autos and private vehicles were back on the roads. With the police removing barricades in most places and opening up all the flyovers, traffic was back to usual, except that there were no horn blaring buses. The TSRTC resumed services, but with district buses being allowed only up to the Jubilee Bus Station, Uppal Crossroads and Aramgarh.
Earlier, it took some time for the city to shake its slumber off, with shops first focusing on cleaning and setting up hand sanitisers and physical distance markers. Even as the sound of the broom sweeping away dust and leaves and the shrill rasping sound of shutters being pulled up slowly died out, customers began coming in a trickle, and by noon, many shops were witnessing what resembled festival shopping crowds.
Garment stores, electronics and electrical appliance stores had the most crowd, with shop managers trying their best to make people maintain physical distance as brisk business continued till 5 pm. In many shops, staff were assigned exclusively to ensure physical distance between customers, though the attempts to do so went for a toss at many places, while security guards took care of the hand sanitiser department. Many shops had sanitisers kept on the stands for the convenience of customers.
The shops were reopened and allowed to function based on guidelines issued by the GHMC, with the door numbers of shops to be considered for an alternate day operating system. Barber shops that had three seats left the middle seat vacant, while at cash counters at big showrooms, floor managers were seen pleading with customers to stand a few feet apart.
The lockdown in its full version continued to be enforced in containment areas, while schools, malls and eateries remained shut. Several eateries, however, opened their takeaway counters.
TSRTC buses back on roads
After staying off the road for more than 50 days, the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) on Tuesday resumed its services, except for city, metro buses in the Greater Hyderabad zone and inter-State buses.
All other services, including Super Luxury, Rajdhani and Deluxe buses hit the roads across the State from 6 am and all staff members, including drivers and conductors reported for duty. Officials said masks and sanitisers were provided to the staff.
Wearing masks is mandatory for passengers to board the buses, with physical distancing to be strictly followed. Passengers were not permitted to stand in the buses. Tickets were being issued based on the seating capacity and ensuring physical distancing by passengers in the buses.
Though 6,000 buses were being operated, TSRTC Executive Director Yadagiri said there was no huge rush at the stations in the districts and at the temporary boarding points in the city. He personally monitored the operations at Uppal crossroads in the morning.
In Hyderabad, which still has containment zones, buses were being operated and terminated at different locations. Buses arriving from Warangal and Yadagirigutta side were being terminated at Uppal crossroads. Similarly, those coming from Nalgonda and Khammam were being halted at Hayathnagar.
Buses from the northern districts, including Karimnagar, Adilabad were being permitted till Jubilee Bus Station. Buses from Mahabubnagar were being terminated at Aramgarh crossroads and those from Vikarabad, Parigi and other areas are being halted at the State Police Academy junction.
“Most of the buses are non-stop and only some of the district services will have limited stages. We will not operate inter-state services until further orders from State government,” an official said.
Comments are closed.