The Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to resume state transport bus service to various destinations from May 18 next, an official said here on Friday.
The decision was taken in view of the huge demand for public transport to ferry stranded people and other passengers from one district to another, State Transport Services general manager Abu Tayeng informed.
Tayeng in an official order on Thursday said that daily bus service would be available from Itanagar to Bomdila, Seppa, Ziro, Daporijo, Aalo, Pasighat and Roing, while service between Itanagar and Tawang would be available only on Monday and Thursday.
The general manager further informed that bus services from Itanagar to Tezu, Namsai, Miao, Changlang, Khonsa, Longding, Likabali, Kamle, Tirbin, Basar, Pake-Kessang, Kaying and Liromoba would be on alternate days.
Moreover, Tayeng in the order said that bus service to Koloriang from Itanagar would be available on Tuesday and Friday, Itanagar to Nyapin (Sunday and Thursday) and Itanagar to Kra-Daadi would be available on Monday and Thursday.
State Transport secretary Dani Sulu in another official order on Thursday directed that all inter-district routes, especially connecting Itanagar would be operated from respective stations as per earlier normal schedules.
Sulu further directed that each bus station should deploy minimum of three vehicles for quarantine duties in their respective designated entry points while station superintendent of state transport services Itanagar and ISBT Naharlagun would deploy 15 buses at Police Training Centre (PTC) Banderdewa, designated as quarantine facility centre.
The secretary in his order further stated that all senior station superintendents and station superintendents should send additional buses to Itanagar, if available for lifting stranded persons from the state capital.
"Ticket bookings for all inter-district routes from Itanagar will be done online only and intra-district services operated on rural routes will book manually," the order said adding, all bus services would be operated under strict observance of social distancing and other standard operating procedures (SOPs) as per guidelines of the Union Home Ministry and the state government.