Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami has, on Wednesday, announced that the inter-district public and private transports will be resumed from September 7, days after permitting the resumption of the intra-district movements and pouring major relaxations in the state to restore normalcy amid rising COVID-19 cases. 

As per the fresh announcement, people can be able to travel between the districts from September 7 through the public and private transports as like how it was before the state was imposed with the unprecedented experiment- lockdown, that lasted for over five months which suspended the major services including the transports to limit and monitor the movements of people in curbing the human to human transmitting virus. 

According to the statement issued by the Chief Minister, the inter-district public and private transports will be resumed from September 7 across the state with accord to the standard operating procedure (SOP) to adhere to the guidelines and protocols. The statement reads that following the resumption of the intra-district transports, people from across the state had demanded the government to allow the transports between districts. 

7.9.2020 முதல் தமிழ்நாடு முழுவதும் மாவட்டங்களுக்கு இடையே அரசு மற்றும் தனியார் பொது பேருந்து போக்குவரத்திற்கு அனுமதி அளிக்கப்படுகிறது.

7.9.2020 முதல் மாநிலத்திற்குள் பயணியர் இரயில் போக்குவரத்து செயல்பட அனுமதிக்கப்படுகிறது. pic.twitter.com/zwleDPzk1K

— Edappadi K Palaniswami (@CMOTamilNadu) September 2, 2020

Following the demand, the Chief Minister stated that with the view of public interest, the inter-district transports will be permitted from September 7. The Chief Minister further added that along with the inter-district public and private transports, the passenger train services between the districts will also be allowed to function from September 7 and the government will be releasing the SOPs concerning the road and rail transports within the state. 

The resumption of inter-district travels has become one of the key players on the grounds to pull the state out of the lockdown in a graded manner. The major relaxations had poured a relief for people to have uninterrupted travels between districts after five months as the government had already repealed the e-pass system from the operation letting people move freely between the districts.

Through the press release of the Chief Minister, it can be learned that the inter-state road and rail transports are still under suspension and people who are coming to Tamil Nadu from other Indian states and abroad are mandated to obtain e-pass from the government prior to their travel. On September 1, the state woke up to fresh relaxations after the intra-district travels, shopping malls, and places of worship have been back to operations after five months. 

Though the current phase of the lockdown would be in place till September 30, it has brought significant relaxations to the state from pitching outside the circle of the lockdown towards restoring normalcy in the state of how it looked during pre-COVID-19 world. Along with the resumption of inter-district travels, the government has also announced that the metro rail services in Chennai would be resuming from September 7. 

Must-read: From queues in temples to heavy traffic on roads: TN bids farewell to lockdown!