Assam: ASTC Helps over 26,000 Travelers Reach their Destinations amid Global Corona Outbreak

Guwahati, March 24, 2020: 

Assam is ready to go into lockdown this evening and as soon as it does, the train stations across the State will be deserted till the midnight of March 31.

The last train to Assam will reach the Guwahati Railway Station at 8 PM and the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) will once again be ready to receive the passengers. Some 20-25 buses have been assigned with the duty to serve the public.

From the Station to ISBT, it is the duty of these ASTC buses to help the people reach their destinations before the situation amid the novel coronavirus deteriorates in Assam.

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ASTC personnel have been tirelessly working to provide transport to all those passengers who came from outside. On the day of 'Janata Curfew' on March 22 and subsequently on March 23 and 24, ASTC bus services were available for passengers.

At a time when private/public transport or taxi services like Ola, UBER or Rapido were limited, the Assam State Transport Corporation came to public's relief and to all those who were arriving from outside in these three days.

Speaking with Inside Northeast, Managing Director, ASTC, Anand Prakash Tiwari said, "It has been a very difficult situation, especially on the first day (March 22) when people had decided not to come out because of this coronavirus. Everybody had kept themselves safely distanced in their houses. But many trains and flights came from outside. From morning hours on that day, there were no other mode of transport in Guwahati. Ola, UBER were also not plying."

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He added, "At this juncture, ASTC came forward and started providing services to all those who came from outside and waiting for some public transport. After that, continuously, ASTC had been operating day and night across Assam. All the Stations and Airports were covered."

Tiwari said that the ASTC had chalked out a plan according to the schedule. And the ASTC staff took the risk of getting exposed to the infection. The ASTC has provided more than 500 buses a day covering various airports and railway stations to provide transport to people to avoid public inconveniences and disorder at the Airport and Railway Station. In the past three days, it has received a total of 20 trains and 160 flights during the corona crisis.

Approximately, 16000 people through air and 12000 people through rail arrived and the ASTC takes pride in assisting the travellers.

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ASTC, in a statement, said, "We have received them from Guwahati and provided them transport for Barak Valley, Agartala, Shilong, Karbi Anglong, and other places."

ASTC staff have been working at Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta Road, Nalbari, Rangia, Guwahati, Kamakhya , Lumding, Jorhat, Nazira, Mariani, Sonari, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia rail stations.

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