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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday revised the number of DTC buses that will be allowed to ply on the roads during the lockdown period in the National Capital, announcing that 50 per cent of the bus fleet will be in operation from Tuesday till March 31.
The decision came as reports of hospital and medical workers facing difficulties in commuting to work surfaced on Monday, a day after the Chief Minister announced a near-complete lockdown of the entire national capital to combat the spread of coronavirus. "It has come to our notice that many of our health workers in hospitals reported problems in commuting to work, as the DTC fleet was running at 25 per cent capacity. So, from tomorrow, the strength of the fleet plying on the roads will be increased to 50 per cent of the overall fleet," the CM said during his brief address, telecast on his official social media handles.
"Many of the buses could run empty, but employees in the realm of essential services will be able to avail them," said the CM.
The Delhi CM further called upon the people of the national capital to respect the lockdown rules and not venture out of their homes.
"We will not have enough beds if the whole city gets infected, please cooperate with the lockdown," Kejriwal warned during his address.
"Coronavirus could happen to anyone. It doesn't differentiate between man and a woman," he noted, adding that there had been an exponential spike in the number of positive cases in countries such as Italy and the US since the first case in these countries surfaced.
Highlighting the list of businesses that would stay open during the lockdown period, Kejriwal said that manufacturers and sellers of medical masks and sanitisers will remain open, among other services. He also reiterated that vegetable markets will remain open, as will be the operations of food and civil suppliers.
