COVID-19 outbreak: Sindh outlines SOPs for intra-city bus travel after lifting transport restrictions

KARACHI: The Sindh government on Tuesday issued a notification outlining the standard operating procedures to be followed by bus operators for intra-city travel within districts, after it allowed the resumption of transport services across the province.

All bus operators must abide by and ensure the following protocols:

1. Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces of buses, bus terminals and waiting areas

2. Observing social distancing during ticketing, boarding, travelling and disembarking with a minimum of 3-feet distance.

3. Wearing masks and hand gloves by passengers, drivers and conducters.

4. Carrying of a minimal amount of baggage.

5. Ensuring the availability of masks and hand sanitisers in every bus will be the responsibility of transporters.

6. Checking the body temperature of every passenger including that of the driver and conductor before boarding the bus.

7. Not allowing the boarding of anyone with a cough or fever.

8. A seating arrangement of 50% of capacity with reasonable distance between passengers.

9. Ensuring ventilation of air by opening all windows.

10. The use of rear door for boarding and front door for disembarking.

11. Allowing passengers to disembark first before another boards the bus, in case of a single door vehicle.

12. Sneezing or coughing into elbow or tissue papers.

13. Installation of disinfecting/spraying gates at boarding places.

14. Marking the location of parking bays of buses.

15. Management of the crowd with deployment of additional staff and with marking positions.

16. Ensuring availability of soaps, sanitisers in public areas, toilers.

17. Not allowing the elderly and sick to utilise bus services.

18. The use of a cash drop box by the conductor.

19. The use of designated bus stops for boarding and disembarking from buses.

Bus services from one district to another shall remain closed, as shall those for travel between provinces.

Sindh green-lights resumption of services

Earlier in the day, the Sindh government gave the green signal to resume public and online transport services across the province. 

The decision was announced by Sindh Transport Minister Awais following successful negotiations between transporters and the Sindh government.

A monitoring and inspection team has been constituted to ensure that social distancing guidelines and SOPs are followed by transporters to stem the spread of the coronavirus. 

“Transport will be allowed to resume within the city from tomorrow,” said Awais, adding that all transporters will have to follow the government's SOPs.

“If SOPs are not followed then public transport will once again be banned,” said the minister. He added that extra passengers will not be added to buses and other modes of transport.

Also read: Sindh announces resumption of public transportation services after Eid-ul-Fitr

Awais stated that action will be taken if it is discovered that masks and sanitizers are not present in any public transport vehicle. He added that the notification regarding the resumption of public transport will be issued tonight.

Online transport services allowed to resume operations 

The provincial government has also allowed online transport services to resume operations as well, however, with proper guidelines in place. As per the SOPs, only two people in a car at a time will be allowed to travel, said the minister.

“One more person can be added in an emergency situation,” said the minister. He added that they will be allowed to resume operations on a seat by seat basis.

Last month, the Sindh government had refused to resume transport services while its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa counterpart had announced the reopening of all public transport, following in Punjab's footsteps. 

Meanwhile, President Karachi Transport Ittihad (KTI) Irshad Bukhari said that he was thankful to Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah for allowing transport services in the metropolis.

"After two and a half months transport is resuming," he said, adding: "We will make it mandatory for drivers and conductors to wear masks and gloves."

The KTI president said they would ensure that passengers were sitting a seat apart.

"A meeting of transporters has been convened to discuss the latest development,” he said.

"Everyone has been asked to follow SOPs [...] If they allow anyone to sit on the roof and their vehicle is impounded we won't help them."