Cut to the bare minimum amid the fight against Covid-19, public transport has begun to shift gears.

Story by Bhushan Mhapralkar

Ferrying essential services staff with the necessary social distancing and other precautions, public transport was compelled to operate at its bare minimum through the later part of March, the whole of April and the beginning of May. The news of operation of special trains for migrant workforce by the Government in May meant public transport buses would need to run to ensure that they reach the respective railway station from various parts of a city or town. Starting from this point, as the country moves into the fourth phase of the lockdown amid the fight against Covid-19, public transport – buses especially have been shifting gears. The rising level of their operation has been supported by announcements like the opening of various routes and national highways. The concept of a national highway in India differing from those found in most advanced countries, many public transport buses in India use national and state highways as part of their route planning.

Stating that they have opened the national highways in response to a dialogue call by BOCI recently, the central transport minister Nitin Gadkari expressed that they were reviewing public transport operations with due for maintaining social distance and adopting safety measures such as washing hands, sanitising, wearing of face masks, etc. In response to a short presentation by Rupa Nandy, Head, UITP, which highlighted countries that have continued to operate public transport despite fairing worse than India in Covid-19 numbers, albeit with precautionary measures to reduce vulnerability, Gadkari mentioned that they were looking at the change resulting from industries starting operations. This, he averred, would arrest the migrant of workforce and provide good impetus to public transport. Touching upon the subject of viability of bus operations in view of them running at half the capacity due to social distancing measures among others, the minister said, “The efforts of the Government to start industrial operations, open up the highways, resume trading activities, and activities related to exports and imports, should renew the trust of the people apart from curbing migration.”

Restoring trust and operate-ability

Pointing at the other part of Nandy’s presentation regarding restoration of trust, demand management, public transport workforce, supply, and financial and institutional support, Gadkari expressed that efforts to regularize various activities, including the industrial activities, should ensure trust, demand and the operate-ability of public transport. To Gerald Ollivier, Lead Transport Specialist (India), World Bank, about keeping cities moving by containing Covid-19 and ensuring financial survival, Gadkari expressed that they are studying economic viability of buses operating at half their capacity. On the subject of operation and service delivery, fleet management, crew management, financial management (loan and capital), and government support (in terms of insurance, taxes and technologies like contactless ticketing) by Ollivier, the minister explained that it is indeed a tough balancing act to protect from Covid-19, and to deliver satisfactory service and ensure economic viability at same time. “We will all have to work together to achieve the desired result,” he added.

In view of the five ideas – Covid-19 prepardness, digitisation, establishment of a recovery scheme by leveraging crude oil price drop, development of a national bus rejuvenation programme, and investment in walk-ability and cycling – Olliver floated in his presentation, the transport minister stated that his Government has been encouraging city bus operations on the lines of London bus programme, which is a Private-Public Equity (PPE) venture. “A start has been made,” he quipped. Responding to the suggestions of Prasanna Patwardhan’s (Chairperson & Managing Director, The Prasanna Group) for registering BSIV buses post their body construction, implementation of one tax-one nation and one permit, increase in speed limit in-line with the new highways, allow local building of buses of up to 35 m length, toll holiday for next six months, increase in the age of buses from eight to 15 years, address payment dues for PPE ventures, increasing insurance policy validity, extending MSME benefits to bus operators (as most of them are of the same stature), and financial gap funding, the transport minister said that he would follow up on the same.

Extending life of buses built to international standards
Of the opinion that the speed limit should be 100 kmph on the modern highways in the country, Gadkari mentioned that the matter regarding speed limit is in front of the Supreme Court. He assured that his ministry will check on the same, and take a decision thereafter if the speed limit on highways could be increased to 100 kmph. Gadkari said that they would look into the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court and then arrive at a decision of whether the speed limit on highways can be increased. Pointing out to the Supreme Court order in response to the query by Patwardhan and K Srinivas Reddy, Managing Director, Veera Vahana, regarding registration of BSIV buses post their body construction, the transport minister mentioned that he would check if there was a way out. Stating that buses built to international standards are found to be in good operating condition even after 15 years of their age, Gadkari said that he would instruct his department to check if the life of the buses built to international standards could be fixed at 15 years as is the case in overseas markets. The current life of buses in India, across the board, is eight years.

In response to the suggestion by O P Agarwal, CEO, World Resources India, about public transport operating at 1/3rd the capacity, and if buses that are idling could be pressed into urban operations (including those that belong to private players) to ensure better financial viability, the transport minister stated that he would look into extending the benefits enjoyed by MSMEs to bus operators. Rather than comment on Agarwal’s suggestion to evaluate bus services vis-à-vis metro services in terms of financial viability, the minister reiterated that the country is going through a challenging period. In such a scenario, he expressed that not much could be done about extending the insurance policy tenure and loan and toll waiver even though such a demand is justifiable. He reasoned that it is not just the country, but even the world that is going through a challenging period. Stating that some state governments simply do not have funds even to pay the salaries of their employees, Gadkari said that it is essential that all the stakeholders work in unison to move forward.

Blessing in disguise

Expressing that the revenue of the Central Government has dropped drastically, and that the banking system is facing problems, the transport minister explained that he would communicate with the insurance sector on the basis on reduction in accidents due to the lockdown, the benefit of which could be passed on to CV operators in the interest of enhancing their financial viability. The minister added that he would take up the suggestions given by the stakeholders with his secretary Priyank Mehta and see what solutions could be had. Stating that they would recommend the finance ministry on matters that are beyond their ambit, Gadkari said that a blessing in disguise is the shift of attention of many auto firms from China to other neighbouring locations. Drawing attention to the announcement of financial package by Japan to encourage its industries to shift out of China, he reiterated that their decision to invest in India will be a blessing in disguise.
Revealing that the suggestions received from the transport industry stakeholders that are beyond the ambit of the transport ministry have been shared with the finance ministry and the PMO, the transport minister Nitin Gadkari responded to a query by Harsh Kotak, Treasurer, BOCI, by expressing that any help received from the World Bank towards public transport will be routed to the respective industry stakeholders. The minister assured Nagpur Travels Association President Mahendra Lule that he would look into liberalising the permit system to ensure better financial viability of bus operators.