Travel Could Come with Social Distancing Measures in Place

April 9, 2020

The authorities are planning a slew of restrictive measures on public transport to ensure passenger safety and social distancing in trains, planes and metros to combat the threat of the spread of the coronavirus disese (Covid-19). All passenger transport has been suspended for the three-week long lockdown period that began on March 25.

The Indian Railways is considering making thermal screening mandatory at railway stations and ensuring social distancing inside trains when the Centre gives its nod for resuming passenger train services, according to officials aware of the development.

“Space between passengers will have to be ensured inside coaches. There will be awareness measures to ensure masks are worn and thermal screening is done. We are also using the the Aarogya Setu app, [the government’s tracker app]?to check the status of passengers,” a senior railway ministry official said.

Aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is also preparing a standard operating procedure (SOP) to ensure social distancing among passengers and reducing contact with staff on board. This includes measures like leaving the middle seats empty. Airports will have to ensure that bunching of passengers is avoided while boarding and also that there is adequate spacing between passengers in queues.

“We are holding consultations with stakeholders and with other similarly situated regulators around the world to develop an SOP which will kick in following the Union government’s order on resumption of passenger flights,” a senior civil aviation ministry official said.

Even before the lockdown, the DGCA had issued guidelines on social distancing for airlines and airport operators. From requesting flyers to keep a distance of at lease a metre at check-in counters, waiting areas and during security checks, the regulatory body also asked authorities to provide sanitisers for staff and passengers.

Similar measures on social distancing are also being planned for metros. “We will follow all self regulation directions on this issued by the Centre,” a spokesperson for the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said.

While no announcement on resumption of passenger transport has yet been made, the Indian Railways had begun preparing to resume passenger and mail express train services. Train services will have to be resumed only on specific approval of each train from the Railway Board.

The national carrier, which operates 13,523 passenger trains every day, ferrying nearly 22 million passengers, has been operating only freight and parcel trains since the lockdown.

“My heart goes out to people who are facing problems due to restrictions put in place on domestic and international flights,” Union civil aviation minister, Hardeep Puri, said on Wednesday. “These restrictions will be lifted once we are confident that the spread of the virus has been controlled and it poses no danger to fellow Indians,” he said.

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©2020 the Hindustan Times (New Delhi)

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