Amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, the state government announced the resumption of inter-district bus services. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), which has one of the country's biggest bus fleets with over 7,000 buses will be back on streets once again from Thursday, August 20.

ALERT! #Maharashtra state transport resume buses from tomorrow as government lifts ban on inter-district movement @mid_day @msrtcofficial pic.twitter.com/eiYEAUizQZ

— Rajendra B. Aklekar (@rajtoday) August 19, 2020

According to an official notification from the MSRTC, travellers would not require e-passes and on-line reservations for all class of buses have already started. The lifting of the ban is a part of Mission Begin Again Phase 6 undertaken by the state government. The decision has been taken keeping in mind the Ganesh Chaturthi festival which begins from August 22. The buses will operate at a lesser frequency and shall follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in place to curb the spread of COVID-19.