Jammu heads for virtual lockdown as public transport suspended to check coronavirus

Heading towards a virtual lockdown to check the spread ofnovel coronavirus, authorities in Jammu on Friday ordered suspension of allmodes of public transport, including buses and mini-buses with immediate effecttill further orders.

However, three wheelers and taxi operators were allowed tocontinue their operations with a rider not to carry more than three persons.

   

Issuing an order under the National Disaster Management Act,District Magistrate Jammu Sushma Chauhan said all modes of mass publictransport would cease to ply with immediate effect till further orders, exceptfor State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) buses.

The SRTC buses would only ply on designated routes for theconvenience of government employees (on production of Identity cards) andtravellers in emergency, she said.

However, she said auto-rickshaws or taxis are permitted tooperate and ply with not more than three persons on board.

“Any violation of the directions will lead to prosecutionunder section 51 of the DM Act,” Chauhan said.

Various districts of Jammu region have already suspendedpublic transport, while shops and business establishments except those dealingwith essential commodities like groceries and medicines were closed onThursday.

The main markets in Jammu wore a deserted look on Fridaywith people preferring to stay at home following the directive of “socialdistancing”.

The Friday prayers also passed off without any majorcongregation in the city, while all main temples, including the famousRaghunath Mandir, remaining shut for the visitors.

The pilgrimage to the revered shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi inReasi district was suspended along with interstate bus services.

There are four cases of coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir,where authorities imposed prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or morepersons besides shutting down educational institutions, hotels and restaurants,cinema halls, shopping malls, recreational clubs, parks and gardens till March31 to discourage any social gathering in view of the coronavirus threat.

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