Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, May 3: Hundreds of migrants from all over the capital city assembled at the KSRTC bus terminus at Majestic here on Saturday May 2, after central government issued an order allowing people to go back to their homes.

As per new guidelines, people from other districts living in Bengaluru are allowed to go to their native places by taking permission from the DC or high ranking officials of the district. There will be no bus transport in red zone areas. KSRTC has called 150 buses in total from various depots. All these buses will carry people to different districts.

Many of them came to the bus stand the previous evening and spent the night there in anticipation of catching a bus back home.

Social distancing went for a toss as people were seen huddling together without maintaining any distance and many not wearing masks either. A report by Times of India stated that several labourers who were short of cash for the bus ride were seen trying to arrange money and trying to find passengers going to the same destination, as 30 passengers were required for a KSRTC bus to ply. There was chaos as several had no food and water with them, and no officials to arrange the crowds.

The New Indian Express reported that there were over 700 people, and officials came to the spot only after people started crowding. Vinay Sreenivasa of Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike (BBPV) told the New Indian Express that there was only one KSRTC and one BBMP officer on the ground. "Since they were allowing only 30 passengers in each bus, they asked the people themselves to find other passengers heading towards the same destination," he said.