Chennai: Even as the entire city has come to a standstill due to the coronavirus lockdown, the 200 buses that are plied by the MTC have made sure that the movement of staff involved in essential services does not get crippled.
Speaking to News Today, Rajaraman, one of the drivers who is part of the fleet, said, “I am not worried even if I die doing this. I can proudly say that I am part of the team that works towards the prevention of spread of the disease. This is a service to humanity but there is also a personal reason, as this will ensure the safety and future of my children too. It is at the time of crisis like this we should stand shoulder to shoulder,” he added.
He further said as of now there is no problem in the work. “We are given masks and hand sanitisers. There are spaces arranged for us to take rest in depots in between the trips. It is also a different feeling to drive in empty roads in the city, which is a rare thing,” he added.
Rajaraman further said he was worried about the number of people roaming out despite the lockdown. “I still see many people roaming in the streets. This is very concerning. Government has implemented the lockdown to ensure the safety of the citizens, but not many have realised this. People should cooperate with the government in times like this. We are all risking our lives for them and people should understand and value it,” he added.
Meanwhile, a senior MTC official from Tambaram depot said all the buses are sanitised after the day’s trip.
“We have roped in bus body cleaning workers to clean the buses. The vehicles are cleaned with disinfectants twice a day,” he said.
He added that many drivers are volunteering to do the work despite the risk involved.”At present there are 15 drivers in our depot and they are deputed on rotational basis,” he added.