Anantapur: In view of the alarming rise in COVID-19 cases, the Karnataka government has put restrictions on movement of people and transport. Buses will not be permitted into Bengaluru on Sundays, and people can travel on AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) and Karnataka State Road Transport buses only if they are registered on the Suvidha App of the Karnataka government.
APSRTC authorities at the Anantapur depot said passengers without clearance on the Karnataka government app will not be permitted in buses at initial points in Anantapur, Kurnool , Kadapa and other depots.
Sources said APSRTC operates around four bus services to Bengaluru every day but the occupancy has been very poor. A small number of passengers travel to Mantralayam in Kurnool district but the moola brindavanam of Sri Raghavendra Swamy and the math at Mantralayam see large numbers of devotees from all parts of the country, a majority from Karnataka. KSRTC operates buses from Bengaluru and Raichur.
A math official from Mantralayam told Deccan Chronicle that the restrictions were in place to prevent spread of the coronavirus. “The math is not allowing devotees to come close to the moola brindavanam, and annadanam centres are closed. Devotees are being permitted in fewer numbers, according to the regulations,” he said.
An RTC official from Anantapur depot observed that people were travelling to Bengaluru only for emergency reasons. Shravani, a passenger from Madakasira, said she had to go to Bengaluru to attend the annual ceremony of her mother and managed to get clearance through the app at the last minute. People in the border areas were hiring vehicles from nearby Karnataka border towns and bus stations.
Tourist spots in Karnataka are also under lockdown. Online services and reservations are not available for major tourist spots. K Venugopal of Anantapur, who wanted to travel to Dandeli, a famous tourist spot in Karnataka, said, “We had spoken to the organisers over the phone and made all the necessary preparations to visit the spot and to stay for three days. But they informed us the stay had been cancelled,” he said. Organisers of tourist packages and major events, including the water games, have put these off till October.
