Transport Bureau (DSAT) Director Kelvin Lam Hin San said yesterday that the COVID-19 vaccination rate of less than 40 percent among the city’s public bus drivers “is not good”.
Macau’s general COVID-19 vaccination rate stood at around 40 percent as of yesterday.
Lam made the remarks while speaking to reporters after chairing a regular meeting of the government-appointed Traffic Consultative Council at his bureau.
Macau has two public bus operators, Transmac and TCM.
Lam said that one of his bureau’s major tasks currently is to urge the city’s public bus drivers to be inoculated against COVID-19. “The vaccination rate of the two public bus operators’ drivers is not ideal, only less than 40 percent,” he said.
Meanwhile, Transmac Deputy General Manager Kent Li Qijian told reporters after yesterday’s meeting that if drivers of his company who have had COVID-19 jabs feel unwell or think that they needed a rest after the jab, they can inform the company which would then give them a proper arrangement, either by rescheduling their original weekly day-off or by allowing them to take their annual leave.
Li said that his company does not give drivers an extra jab holiday as a COVID-19 vaccination incentive as not everyone would have adverse events following COVID-19 vaccinations, adding that his company has so far not received any reports from its drivers who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 that they suffer post-vaccination adverse events.
Li said that his company’s drivers normally choose to get their jab on the day before their regular day off.
At the end of last year Macau had 1,393 public bus drivers, according to the latest available DSAT statistics.
Transport Bureau (DSAT) Director Kelvin Lam Hin San speaks to reporters at his bureau yesterday. Photo courtesy of TDM
Transmac Deputy General Manager Kent Li Qijian talks to reporters after attending yesterday’s meeting of the government-appointed Traffic Consultative Council. Photo: MPDG
