Buses to run at full capacity, says transport owners’ leader

A security personnel checks as buses arrive to transport Bangladeshi nationals out of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport following their evacuation from the Chinese city of Wuhan, in Dhaka on 1 February 2020. A virus similar to the SARS pathogen has killed 259 people in China and spread around the world since emerging in a market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Photo: AFP

Buses are going to run at full capacity from Saturday, claimed Khandaker Enayet Ullah, secretary general of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners’ Association, reports UNB.

But the buses will not carry passengers beyond the number of seats in a bus, he added.

Earlier, the leaders of transport owners and workers proposed the government allow them operate buses at their full capacities maintaining proper health protocols.

“It becomes impossible to transport passengers at half capacity during office hours as all private and govt offices are open. So, we’ve asked [BRTA] to allow us to take passengers on all seats.”

Considering the proposal, “the ministry verbally confirmed but no official order has been issued yet,” Enayet Ullah said. “Hand sanitisers will have to be kept inside buses, all have to wear masks and bus staff will have to keep vaccine certificates with them during their duty, he added”

On Monday, the government imposed restrictions on public movement and other activities like operating public transport at their half capacities amid the growing concern over the new Omicron variant of Coronavirus.