PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND BUS STATIONS HOTSPOTS FOR THE RAPID SPREAD OF THE COVID – 19 PANDEMIC

PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND BUS STATIONS HOTSPOTS FOR THE RAPID SPREAD OF THE COVID – 19 PANDEMIC
…AS Government calls for mandatory wearing of face masks on public transport
THE increased number of Covid119 cases in the country poses a great challenge to the public transport system, a situation that calls for heightened application of public health measures with regards to public transportation.
According to the Ministry of Health, over five million people have died of Covid-19 pandemic wold-wide with Africa accounting for over 228, 856 deaths. In Zambia, over 3, 762 people have died since the first case was recorded in March 2020.
Mass public transportation vehicles such as buses have been identified as hotspots for the rapid spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Ministry of Health has also identified bus stations as super spreaders of the pandemic, a situation that calls for individual and community effort to make a difference in the fight against the pandemic.
The call therefore, remains to the public to heed the guidance by the Ministry of Health regarding mass gatherings including risk facilities such as public transport and bus stations.
To accelerate efforts in mitigating the spread of Covid-19 on public transport, the Ministry of Transport and Logistics through the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 convened road transport sector stakeholders through a virtual meeting with the Ministry of Health.
The objective of the virtual meeting was to demonstrate a multi-sectorial response to the pandemic that poses a great risk to the country’s public transport sector.
The Minister of Transport and Logistics, Mr Frank Tayali said that Covid-19 poses a serious risk on public transport and called on all Public Service Vehicle (PSV) drivers and passengers to be vigilant in observing all public health guidelines in line with Statutory Instrument No. 22 of 2020 – the Public Health (Infected Area) (Coronavirus Diseases 2019) Regulation 2020.
“Mass public transportation vehicles such as buses have been identified as hotspots for the rapid spread of the Covid-19 virus. The travelling public is therefore advised to always put on face masks when using public transport. The proper use of face masks can significantly reduce the probability of infection” Mr. Tayali said.
The minister also urged PSV drivers, conductors and the public to get vaccinated to mitigate the risk of spreading the Covid-19 virus.
And Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Logistics Eng. Frederick Mwalusaka called on all public transport operators to champion the implementation of public health guidelines with a call for self-regulation in ensuring that all health guidelines are followed.
Meanwhile, the Road Transport and Safety Agency Director and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Gladwell Banda said the RTSA with guidance from the Ministry of Transport and Logistics and the Ministry of Health will continue working on modalities to provide alternative strategies and measures to mitigate the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in public transportation.
Mr. Banda stated that the RTSA working with the Zambia Police will ensure that there is total compliance to mandatory use of face masks in public transportation.
To this effect, bus drivers, bus conductors and all passenger and PSV operators have been instructed not to allow any person on a bus or taxi without a face mask.
Further, all PSV operators are guided to provide facilities for regular hand washing or sanitising at all bus stations.
It is a common belief for Government that all players in public transportation will heighten compliance to public health guidelines and has since urged all stakeholders to adhere to the following Standard Operating Procedures that Government developed through the Ministry of Transport and Logistics in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the road transport sector:

1. Number of passengers to be carried on Public Transport Vehicles.
   All public passenger vehicles (buses and taxis) both intercity and local should carry the number of passengers in line with the registration requirement. Carrying passengers above the registration requirement is strictly prohibited. Bus and Taxi owners, drivers, conductors and passengers must ensure that buses and taxis are not overloaded at any time to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
2. Mandatory Masking by drivers, conductors and passengers.
   All passengers, drivers and conductors must wear masks to cover their nose and mouth throughout the period of the journey without fail. Any person who contravenes their requirement during or before the journey must not be allowed to enter the passenger vehicle and proceed on the journey. It is therefore the responsibility of both drivers and conductors to ensure that their passengers adhere to this requirement and vice versa for drivers and conductors.
3. Frequent and routine sanitisation of Public passenger vehicles.
   All public passenger vehicles are expected to be fully disinfected before loading passengers for any route or trip. The owners of the public transport vehicle must provide the necessary cleaning and disinfection materials while designated drivers and conductors must ensure that vehicles are cleaned and disinfected.
4. Provision of hand washing materials and hand sanitizers.
   All public passenger transport operators must provide alcohol-based sanitisers in their buses/taxis for use by drivers, conductors and passengers. Passengers are encouraged to carry their own hand sanitizsers to be used during the journey.
   Therefore, passengers, drivers and conductors must wash their hands with soap and running water or sanitise their hands using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser before entering the bus/taxi before embarking a public transport vehicle, during the journey and immediately after disembarking.
5. Mandatory temperature reading.
   All public transport operators must provide temperature readers to test each passenger before boarding the bus or taxi. A mandatory temperature reading is therefore a requirement and it is the duty of the drivers and conductors to carry out these responsibilities.
6. Ventilation.
   Whilst on bus stations, bus stops and in-transit (journey period) buses/ taxis should allow free flow of air by opening windows to allow fresh air to circulate freely.
   The RTSA and the Zambia Police Traffic Division are on alert to enforce these measures and ensure total compliance in a bid to mitigate the spread of Covid-19.
   Proper and correct adherence to the Standard Operating Procedures that Government developed to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 in the road transport sector will have high impact in protecting the lives of the travelling public and front line staff in public transportation who are key in ensuring that the wheels of the economy continue moving by making sure that there is no interruption of people, good and products.
   We therefore, do not need to drop the guard as the country anticipates the an increase in Covid-19 pandemic cases which poses a great challenge to the country’s public transport system, a situation that calls for heightened application of public health measures regarding public transportation.
   Failure to adhere to Public Health guidelines may have catastrophic effects that may result in economic decay.
   Even the delivery of essential products such as fuel and medical consumables and services may drop, affecting the whole supply chain process if the road transport sector cripples due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
   The clarion call to all PSV drivers, passengers and the public in general to individually and collectively follow the Covid-19 pandemic public health protocols as guided by the Ministry of Health.