Strict measures on public transport for safer travel

The Minister of Tourism, Mr Georges Pierre Lesjongard, shared this
information, on 12 May 2020, during an early evening broadcast on national
television.  ‘It is essential that the
population continues to respect, with the same discipline, the hygiene measures
already in place to avoid a second wave of the pandemic, in particular through
the barrier gestures such as wearing masks, washing hands, and respecting
social distancing,’ he said.  To this
end, families on the Social Register of Mauritius will be offered protective masks
for free.

The Minister
also gave an overview of the plan for the gradual resumption of public
transport as from 15 May 2020, namely:

Ø  Operating hours
of public transports:

·        
Buses: 5 am to 9 pm

·        
Metro: 6 am to 7 pm

 

Ø  The following
are considered peak hours:

·        
6 am to 10 am

·        
and 14.30 hours to 19.00 hours

 

The elderly and those aged under 18 should refrain
from travelling by public transportation during peak hours, except in emergency
situations.

 

·    A limited number of passengers will be allowed onboard
to ensure that social distancing is respected. In the metro, a maximum of 81
passengers is allowed; there will be restriction on the number of passengers
per seat in buses; in taxis, no more than three passengers will be authorised,
and for taxis with seven seats, no more than four passengers

·        
Bus and metro stations as well as vehicles will be
disinfected regularly

·        Transport workers will have to wear masks and gloves

·        The public is requested to pay the exact travelling
fare to minimise contact

As for the private sector, the Minister indicated that
the sector will have to abide by strict hygiene rules at the workplace. He
urged employers to promote the Work-From-Home system and to consider the
setting up of a “Covid-19” team which will be responsible for
elaborating hygiene measures and ensuring that employees put these measures
into practice.

Moreover, any suspected cases of Covid-19 in the
private sector, will have to be reported to the authorities.  Additionally, companies that receive visitors
must implement strict sanitary provisions and keep a Visitor’s Book with their
contact information, to facilitate Contact Tracing if necessary.

Minister Lesjongard also spoke about the 57 amendments
being brought to the Covid-19 (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, some of which,
he said, will help boost the economy while others aim to bring relief to the
population. He called for public solidarity in this time of crisis, adding that
sacrifices are imperative to improve the socioeconomic situation of the country.

#ResOuLakaz    
#BeSafeMoris

Government Information Service, Prime
Minister’s Office, Level 6, New Government Centre, Port Louis, Mauritius.
Email: gis@govmu.org  Website: http://gis.govmu.org  Mobile App: Search Gov​