Mangaluru, Mar 25: A youth was was killed after being knocked down by a train near Thokkottu on the outskirts of the city on Friday.
The decease has been identified as Avil Roshan D'Souza (32), a resident of Kolya village near here.
It is learnt that the youth was walking on the tracks at Kapikad near Thokkottu when the tragedy took place.
A case has been registered. Authorities are likely quiz the motorman of the train to establish the sequence of events leading to the youth's death.
Bengaluru, May 17: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Transport Minister Laxman Savadi on Sunday wrote to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari requesting to issue new lockdown guidelines including permission to operate public transport and said the lockdown has caused a financial loss of Rs 16,00 crore to all four Karnataka Transport Undertakings.
In view of these problems, the state Transport Minister requested Gadkari to permit the deployment of Non-AC buses on scheduled routes to ensure the adequacy of services.
The four State Transport Undertakings (STUs) in Karnataka which are providing bus-based public transport services within the state and to the neighbouring states are Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).
"KSRTC, NWKRTC and NEKRTC operate buses for mofussil services i.e. Interdistrict, intradistrict and interstate, whereas BMTC operates only in urban and suburban areas in the city of Bengaluru. The four STUs put together hold a fleet of about 24,900 buses including 1,520 air-conditioned buses and operate about 71.00 lakh km. per day and carries about 98.00 lakh passengers every single day," Savadi outlined in the letter.
The Minister said due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the lockdown that ensued have brought regular bus operations and functioning to a grinding halt.
"This has caused a devastating impact on the operations of all the four STUs due to the combination of lack of revenue and continuing fixed costs such as salaries and pensions to staff, payables against existing loans etc. It has been estimated that the lockdown has caused a financial loss of INR 1,600/- crore to these four STUs," he added.
Savadi said even after post-COVID lockdown, operations and revenues won't reach its previous demand& supply patterns in the next six to eight months due to reduced economic activity and users' perceived risk of contacting COVID in public transport.
In addition to that, "occupancy should be allowed up to seating capacity (without standees). This is essential to meet minimal demand," he said in the letter.
"The crew should wear facemask and hand gloves. The crew with health issues should not be deployed. The face masks should be made mandatory for all the passengers. Only asymptomatic persons should be allowed to travel in public transport. The Government of India may consider staggering working hours for various sectors to reduce peak hour traffic demand," the minister listed out these recommendations in the letter.
Savadi said that with social distancing norm of reduced seating capacity in public transport, it will not be possible to provide transport facility to all the daily passengers. This will create demand for more buses, which cannot be met.
"Restrictions on public transport will lead to passenger commute by overcrowding in smaller vehicles like cars, maxi cabs, goods tempos etc. which will adversely affect preventive measures," he added.
Therefore, Savadi requested Union Minister to look into the above matter and issue fresh guidelines to all the states / UT's.
Bengaluru, May 21: Karnataka reported 116 fresh cases of coronavirus on Thursday, taking the state tally to 1578.
So far, 570 people have been cured and discharged while 41 have succumbed to the virus, informed the state health department.
Out of the 116 cases, 71 have a history of inter-state travel history to Maharashtra.
Out of the 116 cases, 27 are from Udupi alone, 15 cases are reported from Mandya and 13 are from Hassan. Bengaluru Urban saw seven new cases.
Bengaluru, Mar 13: Karnataka Health Department is planning to set up a separate hospital for COVID-19 so that the affected can be kept in quarantine at one place.
Presently, it is in the process of setting up separate isolation wards for COVID-19 cases at eight Bengaluru hospitals.
Minister for Medical Education K Sudhakar said on Friday that he has already discussed the idea of a separate facility for COVID-19 cases, so that those isolated, can be kept at a single location to contain the spread of the virus.
Comments
Whatever may be the reason, a precious life is lost. He might be sole bread earner for his family. May GOD show HIS mercy on his family to bear this loss.
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