City transport and long-distance buses will run from next Monday (June 1) on 11 conditions, including leaving half the seats vacant in coronavirus transmission situation.
The police will be active in preventing corona transmission and maintaining law and order during public transport operations in the limited area. So that no one can avoid hygienic rules in any way.
Police headquarters say police responsibilities have changed somewhat during the corona situation. Traffic management and crime management did not have the opportunity to work in that sense. However, with the opening of public transport, these two divisions of the police will start working again. In this case, the departments will be sorted out with some new responsibilities and directions. The aim will be to comply with the health rules of the people and the people moving in the transport.
Meanwhile, a meeting was held at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) head office in Banani on Friday (May 29) to determine the conditions for conducting public transport in compliance with hygienic rules to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Although there are 11 conditions for maintaining health rules, there are questions as to whether it is possible to run a bus in compliance with them.
The bus owners and drivers themselves think that it is impossible to maintain social distancing, especially on buses on the internal routes of Dhaka city. A number of transport leaders who attended the meeting said it would not be possible to meet a single condition except wearing a mask.
However, the police said that no public transport will be able to run on the road at will outside the conditions. In this case, the concerned departments of the police will be active and will keep a close eye on them.
In no way should the health rules be disrupted due to negligence. The police will keep an eye on the matter.
Sohail Rana, AIG at the police headquarters, told Barta24.com that it is true that with the introduction of public transport, it will be very challenging for the public and public transport to follow proper hygiene rules. Yet the police will try their best. Everyone should abide by the instructions given by the government. But above all, the cooperation of the public will be needed.
Rakesh Ghosh, managing director of Shyamoli NR Paribahan, told Barta24.com, "We will run long-distance buses from June 1. The buses have already been prepared for that purpose. At the same time, for the safety of bus drivers, helpers and supervisors, all materials including masks, hand sanitizers will be provided. We will allow leaving the bus for the destination with half the passengers in the vehicle according to the hygienic rules.
All types of public transport including buses, launches and trains were closed since March 25 to prevent the spread of corona. Public transport is being resumed from next Monday. However, according to the government announcement, this program will continue on a limited scale.
It was decided at a BRTA meeting that the bus terminal should not be crowded, tickets should be collected along the line at a distance of three feet, body temperature should be checked and hands should be washed before boarding the bus, sanitizer should be kept on the bus, standing passengers should not be picked up. Drivers and passengers must wear masks, the bus must be disinfected before and after the journey, drivers must not be given continuous duty, no breaks on the highway and luggage must be disinfected.