Delhiites stay indoors

| | NEW DELHI
  • 0

Delhiites stay indoors

Monday, 23 March 2020 | Staff Reporter | NEW DELHI

Roads in the national Capital wore a deserted look on Sunday as people joined hands to fight coronavirus by keeping themselves locked indoors. Barring public transport buses and emergency vehicles, a few private vehicles and buses were seen plying.

Autos and taxis were a rare sight due to the support extended by various unions representing such vehicles to Prime Minister Modi's appeal for Janta curfew. Several unions like the Delhi Autorickshaw Sangh, Delhi Pradesh Taxi Union, Delhi Auto Taxi Transport Congress Union and Delhi Taxi Tourist Transport Association supported the curfew call. Unions of last-mile connectivity vehicles also joined the curfew.

Delhi Metro services remained suspended and only 50 per cent of DTC and cluster buses were operational during the Janata curfew. Most of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses were seen running without any passengers. The inter-state bus terminals in the city too wore a deserted look. "No passengers or buses from any state were there at Kashmiri Gate, Sarai Kale Khan and Anand Vihar inter-state bus terminals," said a transport department official.

All major markets such as Connaught Place, Chandni Chowk, Bhagirath Place, Lajpat Rai Market, Khari Baoli, Kashmiri Gate, Sadar Bazar, Chawri Bazaar, Nai Sadak, Ajmeri Gate , Shraddhanand Marg and the retail markets of Delhi, mainly Karol Bagh, Kamla Nagar, Model Town, Azadpur, South Extension, Greater Kailash, Rohini, Shalimar Bagh, Pitampura, Rajouri Garden, Uttam Nagar, Tilak Nagar, Janakpuri, Patel Nagar, Kalkaji, Green Park, Khan Market, Tuglakabad, Vikas Marg, Preet Vihar, Laxmi Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Shahdara, Loni Road, Narela, Bawana, Azadpur, etc remained completely closed.

The inter-state private bus operators also suspended their operations in view of the Janata curfew. "The private buses plying between Delhi and other states also did not operate from 7 am onwards," said Shyamlal Gola, president of All India Luxury Bus Union. He said the union members will distribute one lakh masks and sanitisers to poor people at the three inter-state bus terminals in the city on Monday. Rajendra Soni, general secretary of Delhi Autorickshaw Sangh, said almost all the transport unions of the city have extended support to the prime minister's call of Janata curfew.

Even after medicine, dairy, food grains and grocery stores in colonies were kept free from the shutdown, were closed whole the day.

The Confederation of All India Trade (CAIT) national president BC Bhartia and Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said that the three-day trade bandh call of Delhi traders by CAIT connected into Janata curfew o Sunday and all major and big markets of Delhi remained completely closed and there were no business activities in Delhi. The bandh in Delhi will continue on Monday also, it said.

The traders’ body has also sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting to declare the national lockdown in the Country till  March 31 to prevent any possibility of community transmission of coronavirus.

Sunday Edition

CAA PASSPORT TO FREEDOM

24 March 2024 | Kumar Chellappan | Agenda

CHENNAI EXPRESS IN GURUGRAM

24 March 2024 | Pawan Soni | Agenda

The Way of Bengal

24 March 2024 | Shobori Ganguli | Agenda

The Pizza Philosopher

24 March 2024 | Shobori Ganguli | Agenda

Astroturf | Lord Shiva calls for all-inclusiveness

24 March 2024 | Bharat Bhushan Padmadeo | Agenda

Interconnected narrative l Forest conservation l Agriculture l Food security

24 March 2024 | BKP Sinha/ Arvind K jha | Agenda