Lhasa prepares to resume public bus service

Lhasa, Tibet autonomous region, is preparing to resume public bus transportation, as the COVID-19 prevention situation in most parts of the city continues to improve, local media reported.

The city's bus operation company disinfected and sterilized all its buses on Sunday to provide a safe environment for passengers in anticipation of a resumption of public transportation, it said.

The plateau city has reported five asymptomatic carriers but no locally confirmed COVID-19 cases on Sunday, according to the regional Health Commission.

Zomkyi, a worker involved in the disinfection and sterilization work, said her company will work on every operating bus and will try to ensure the safety of passengers by disinfecting every corner of the vehicle.

For the safety of drivers and passengers, technicians from the commission were dispatched to collect environmental samplings from surfaces including chairs, handrails, rings and sliding windows before operations begin.

Tsering Dondrub, deputy general manager of the company, said the company has rolled out a plan to gradually resume normal operations.

The expected resumption will include 21 lines, more than 100 buses, 150 bus drivers and 150 on-board assistants. The company has listed the operational hours and closing times of bus routes.

"After normal operations resume, all passengers will have to wear face masks during the entire trip, and all passengers must strictly follow the rules of body temperature measurement and presentation of a valid health code, travel code and negative nucleic acid test result," said Tsering Dondrub.

"Before getting on a bus, passengers must line up to wait, keeping a social distance of at least 2 meters," he said, adding that after boarding passengers must listen to the instructions of the driver and supervisors.

It is recommended that passengers swipe their card or scan the QR code while taking the bus. Paying with cash is not encouraged, as it may increase the risks of virus transmission.

"Our company may try to increase bus shifts during peak hours, and we will strictly control passenger capacity to ensure safety," Tsering Dondrub said.