Restoring Public Transport for the New Normal – the Challenges Ahead

As the country slowly moves out of the COVID-19 lockdown, restoration of public transport systems is fundamental. The economy will not truly be opened unless workers are able to move to their places of work and goods are able to move from where they are produced to where they are consumed. Not everyone owns a personal vehicle or motorbike and need public transport systems to be able to move around. In fact, people who depend on public transport constitute a large share of the population.

Unfortunately, the compulsions of having to maintain a physical distance between people and the fact that many people continue to work from home, will create difficulties in restoring public transport systems across the country. Concerns will largely be around:

• Making the operations financially viable
• Ensuring safety standards for the passengers and being able to make sure that the standards of physical distance are maintained.

It is in this context that the webinar on Post-COVID Resumption of Public Transport Services will discuss how public transport systems can be restored in a manner that is safe and financially sustainable. It will also discuss key elements of standard operating procedures that will be needed to ensure safe operations.

Speakers

• KR Jyotilal, IAS, Principal Secretary for Transport in Kerala
• Ajay Seth, IAS, Managing Director BMRCL
• Sahba Chauhan, Programme Officer - Climate and Energy, Oak Foundation
• Prasanna Patwardhan, Chairman, Bus Operators Confederation of India
• Chandramauli Shukla, IAS, Collector Dewas, MP
• Prasanna Ganesh, Program Director, TMF - Asia Region

Moderated by Amit Bhat, Executive Director, Integrated Transport, WRI India