Mayor Sandip Joshi recently made an effective suggestion and urged Regional Transport Office (RTO) to allow temporary redesignation of school vans as they can be helpful for transporting COVID-19 patients. Because the civic administration is facing a big problem due to shortage of ambulances and it is creating delay in reaching hospital.
Therefore, Joshi said since schools are right now closed and school vans are not in use and can come handy to immediately rush the COVID-19 patients in emergency to nearest hospital. Hundreds of such vans can be temporarily converted into ambulances and it can come handy in saving lives of citizens which is more important. Due to sudden rise in COVID-19 cases, hospital beds and ambulances are running short. Though with more hospitals now granted permission to treat the COVID-19 patients, the beds availability has increased to some extent. But problem of delay in shifting the patients needs to be addressed. The Mayor in order to sort out the situation has asked RTO to take a decision so that the vans can be used for the purpose and can be a critical factor in improving situation on COVID-19 front in city. Due to the pandemic schools have not been allowed to reopen and hence vans and its owners are caught in a dilemma and facing financial crunch. It will be a relief for the owners and drivers of the school vans.