Roadways was saviour to lakhs of people stuck in lockdown

Jaipur, 28 May. The Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) has proved to be a saviour for lakhs of people stranded in various parts of the State during the lockdown. The roadways buses during the period of lockdown have ferried more than 4.03 lakh people including migrant labourers, non-resident labourers, students and others who were stuck in various places within Rajasthan and to other States between March 26 and May 25. The Roadways buses made more than 12,500 trips and ferried these people free of cost to their destinations. The State Government has spent approximately Rs 15.50 crore on ferrying these people.

Transport Minister Shri Pratap Singh Khachariawas boosted the morale by thanking all drivers, conductors and ground staff of roadways for their service and discharging duties at the time of corona pandemic.

RSRTC Chairman and Managing Director Shri Naveen Jain said people were sent to Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir.

He said that more than 1.25 lakh labourers were dropped at the border of various States and also picked labourers of Rajasthan from these borders and dropped them at their home districts. The Roadways apart from ferrying people to their States outside Rajasthan, has played an important role in bringing migrant labourers of Rajasthan and non-resident Rajasthanis back to their State.

Shri Jain said more than 35,500 labourers were sent to Madhya Pradesh and approximately 29,300 labourers were sent to Uttar Pradesh, while maximum of 11,323 people were brought from Gujarat border to Rajasthan.

When special trains were started to ferry labourers from one State to other, the Roadways buses ferried more than 91,825 people from different places in the State to the railway stations and also picked a large number of people from the railway stations who came by special trains to Rajasthan and dropped them at the home districts and home towns in the State.

On the directions of Chief Minister Shri Ashok Gehlot, Shramik Special buses were started to ferry the migrant labourers to their States from May 18. So far more than 14,300 migrant labourers and their family members have been sent to their homes through more than 467 buses to different places in various States.

Shri Gehlot experiencing the pain of people who lost their family members in this lockdown and could not immerse their ashes in holy Ganga River at Haridwar has directed to start ‘Moksh Kalash’ Special Free Bus Service, which began from May 25.

Shri Jain said, “Rajasthan Roadways feels proud to be deployed by the State Government for such huge and sensitive operations. The State Roadways is fully geared to help people reaching homes as soon as possible.”