The Transport Bureau (DSAT) said in a statement yesterday that public buses will be restricted to carrying passengers at less than 60 percent of their capacity to prevent COVID-19 from spreading among the passenger.
According to the statement, bus drivers will not pick up passengers when the bus is more than 60 percent full, at which point bus drivers have the duty to inform their supervisors so that additional buses can be sent to the respective bus stops as soon as possible.
According to the bureau, the number of passengers on buses has recently dropped to less than 30 percent of what it was before the outbreak, while the daily frequency of the buses has been maintained at around 70 percent compared to that before the pandemic.
The bureau said it has been coordinating with the city’s two public bus companies, Transmac and TCM, to ask all drivers in Macau to keep the occupancy rate of each bus below 60 percent, which is to further protect passengers and the drivers from the novel coronavirus.
The bureau also noted that the bus companies will continue to closely monitor the passenger flow on all bus routes and bus stops so that appropriate adjustments can be made. If necessary, additional buses will be sent to busy routes to smooth passenger flow and avoid crowding on the buses.
The bureau urged the two operators to continue strengthening the COVID-19 protection of their staff and enhance the disinfection of bus compartments to further protect the safety of both passengers and drivers.
The bureau also said it hoped for passengers’ understanding and cooperation, and asked all passengers to maintain social distancing.
This undated handout photo released on the website of the Transport Bureau (DSAT) shows a bus stop in Rua do Campo with buses from Macau’s two public bus operators, Transmac and TCM, arriving.
