Chandigarh: UT withdraws CTU inter-state buses, advises self-quarantine for all coming from outside

Following this, UT Administrator V P Singh Badnore expressed concern and said that certain restrictions should be imposed and special care should be taken to prevent infection from travellers coming from outside.

In the first major decision by the Chandigarh Administration, it was decided that CTU will not operate its inter-state buses from June 13 till June 30.

“Consent given to other states for operating inter-state buses to bring passengers to Chandigarh will be withdrawn,” the administration said.

The UT Administration had given consent to various states which were bringing passengers to Chandigarh. Most of those who were stranded in other districts and had to come to Chandigarh have already arrived in the first few days when the bus service started.

However, the Tricity buses being operated by Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana will continue to ply.

Self-quarantine of 14 days for all coming by road, air and rail

The Chandigarh Administration also decided that all passengers coming by trains will be screened on arrival and advised self-quarantine of 14 days.

They will download Aarogya Setu applications mandatorily and will do self-monitoring.

“UT Administration will do random checking as much as possible. The same arrangements will be applicable for passengers coming by domestic flights and by road,” it was said.

Those coming by road to carry self-generated document

The administration also decided that people coming to Chandigarh by road must carry self-generated document, which can be downloaded through mobile phones from the administration’s website. This will help the administration in keeping track of their travel and residence.

“It was clarified that this document is not a permit or a pass. It will simply be a travel information document for official record,” the administration stated.

This document can be downloaded from the website. It will have basic details which one has to enter like name, place where he or she is coming from and where he or she will stay. Then an OTP will be generated on the phone number and automatically the document will be downloaded on phone itself.

Police officials at the border can ask for this document. If not possessing the same, people will be asked to download it then and there. This will help administration in maintaining a record of people coming in.

ID CARDS on borders now

The administrstion announced that now all government/PSU/private employees coming to attend office in Chandigarh will be allowed on production of identity cards.

Why the restrictions

Chandigarh’s porous borders were posing a big challenge for UT as people from neighbouring states would come to the city.

Also, because tourist places like Sukhna Lake and Rose Garden were open, many from neighbouring areas would come only to loiter around posing a risk.

A senior official of the administration said that these restrictions are for the safety of people and would act as a deterrent for those who move out unnecessarily.

“We aren’t stopping anyone. It is just that they have to produce ID cards who are coming to work here. It is for their safety only,” the official added.

Good move, say city residents

City residents welcomed the administration move to introduce these restrictions.

Dr Uttam Thakur, president of Association of Resident Doctors PGI, said, “It is a really nice move on administration’s part. Such restrictions of ID card and other things will act as a deterrent for people who come to Sukhna Lake or other places just for loitering.”

PGI Professor Sonu Goel, from Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, said that the move of a database of all those who come by road or even trains or by flight will really help the administration.

“I applaud this decision of keeping a check on inter-state travellers because city is getting cases from people with travel history to Delhi and other states,” he said.