It is understood that the state-owned KTC has temporarily suspended several of its interstate buses operating from Goa to Maharashtra, Karnataka and Hyderabad owing to a rise in Omicron related Covid-19 cases. It is learnt that the lone Goa to Pune interstate bus has also now been suspended. It is true that Goa had seen a surge in the Covid cases in January with 57,700 new infections and 171 deaths and the positivity rate being close to 40%. However now according to medical authorities the overall situation has improved and the positivity rate has come down which could be due to the flattening of the third wave of the pandemic. Several people depend on the KTC interstate bus service in order to visit other states for business and other purposes. It is pertinent to note that the interstate bus service of other states were in operation even though there was a rise in Covid cases in the neighbouring states. Now that the pandemic situation is improving, it would be desirable for KTC to restart the interstate bus service in a phased manner with 50% passengers while insisting on full vaccination report of passengers. Closure of interstate bus services will also not do any good for the economy of KTC.
ADELMO FERNANDES, Vasco
