Coronavirus outbreak: Transport department reviews readiness for Assam at Janata Bhawan

GUWAHATI: In view of the coronavirus outbreak, State Transport Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary reviewed preparedness for the state at Janata Bhawan on Friday with a thrust on awareness. He laid stress on awareness drives in bus stations, airports, ferries, and the like for passengers’ safety.

The meeting was attended by the health officials, divisional superintendents of ASTC, executive and junior engineers of IWT, and representatives of bus operators, cab operators, auto-rickshaw operators, Ola, Uber, Rapido services, etc.

Patowary said that ASTC divisional superintendents and IWT junior engineers must conduct awareness drives and sensitize people in their respective district bus stations and ferry terminals. He instructed that all ASTC buses and IWT ferries must be cleaned thoroughly after each trip. “A separate sanitizer for the bus drivers and conductors and another for the passengers must be kept in the buses and ferries,” he said.

Patowary also asked the cabs like Ola and Uber service representatives to sensitize their drivers of the precautionary measures to be taken while transporting passengers. “If a passenger shows basic symptoms like a runny nose, sore throat, cough, and fever, enquire courteously his/her travel history and guide the passenger to the nearest PHC or hospital,” he said.

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