Rajesh Kumar Thakur By

Express News Service

PATNA: The Bihar transport department suspended operations of the international Patna-Nepal bus service due to the outbreak of coronavirus with immediate effect on Saturday.

Transport Secretary Sanjay Kumar Aggarwal said, "As a precautionary measure to contain coronavirus spread, the operation of buses between Patna and Nepal has been suspended till March 31."

The buses, which are used to ferry passengers between Kathmandu and Janakpur, have also been stopped till March 31.

Two buses by the Bihar State Road Transport Corporation were operating daily on Gaya-Patna-Kathmandu route, whereas there were four buses operating daily on the Patna-Janakpur route.

He added that the buses coming in from Delhi are being sanitized and that all the bus depots are being observed to detect coronavirus suspects.

The personnel deployed at the depots have been given special instructions to clean the buses.