Margao's KTC staff gets tested

Panaji: A total of 70 of KTC ’s mechanical staff from the Margao depot were told to undergo Covid testing at the Hospicio Hospital after one driver from Mangor hill tested positive earlier this week.

“The mechanical staff has been working in batches to ensure social distancing, but they are the people who are in the depot area most of the time.

Precaution is better than cure, so we asked them to get tested,” KTC managing director, Venancio Furtado said.

As a precautionary measure, the KTC management has sent 26 staffers who are from Mangor hill on home quarantine.

“All those who are residents of the containment zone have been asked not to report to office until they test negative. The directorate of health services is currently carrying out the tests of the residents of that area. We have told KTC workers living there to stay at home for the time being,” Furtado said.

The rest of the staff has been told that they can also get tested if they wish to. There are over 500 people working at KTC Margao. There is a separate testing arrangement for front-line workers like KTC drivers and conductors at the Hospicio Hospital, sources said.

The KTC buses have been deployed to pick up stranded people across the state and drop them to their destination, besides also ferrying passengers to the railway stations or from the Goa airport. Many buses also run as daily shuttles on various routes ever since government officials and professionals have resumed their duties.

As a precautionary measure, the KTC management has sent 26 staffers who are from Mangor hill on home quarantine