Why in news?
- Stoppered supply lines with trucks waiting on highways, the ongoing harvest season and procurement of food grains in various parts of the country are some of the issues that will inform the kind of lockdown the country will continue to have post April 14.
- Motor Vehicles Department chalks out protocol for post-lockdown Kerala.
Smoothening the supply lines
- Government sources said that smoothening the supply lines that have still to be seamless and the harvest and procurement season have complicated the issue of the kind of lockdown to have.
- Harvesting is very important, as is procurement as there are standing crops and they need to be taken care of.
- Mandis etc., do not lend themselves to social distancing.
- Various micro plans are being considered for various States and an overall advisory on how to go about enforcing the behaviour required for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 is likely to be sent out.
Tougher norms for Public Transportation in Kerala
- Restricting the number of persons travelling in cars, buses, and on bikes and increasing the working hours, five-day week, and odd-even system to restrict vehicles have been spelled out in a protocol chalked out for public transportation post-lockdown in the State.
- The protocol also calls for developing an app or a software to track the movement of inter-State rail and bus commuters.
- Motorcycle travel will be limited to one, private cars for three, and one per seat in other vehicles.
- Family members will be allowed in cars and motorcyclists will have to use full-face helmet with visor.
- Local bodies will have to take the lead in sanitising goods vehicles at the 19 check-posts of the MVD and issue guidelines to drivers.
