HCMC – Bus lines No. 5, 601, 602, 603 and 604 running from HCMC to Dong Nai Province resumed their operations on August 26 after 20 days of suspension to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The five nonsubsidized bus lines, which attract many passengers, run from coach stations, universities and industrial parks in HCMC to the neighboring province, Le Hoan, deputy director of the HCMC Public Transport Management Center, told VnExpress.
Buses resuming operations must be equipped with hand sanitizers, while drivers, conductors and bus passengers are required to wear face masks on buses and at bus stops and stations.
Before getting onto the buses, passengers will have their body temperatures checked and maintain a safe physical distance of at least one meter.
The five bus lines were suspended from August 4 following the proposal of the Dong Nai Department of Transport to prevent and control Covid-19 as the province detected two Covid-19 cases.
Dong Nai Province has allowed interprovincial coaches, contracted vehicles and passenger cars to restart operations and travel to other localities, except Danang City, the country’s current coronavirus hotspot.
HCMC has 128 bus lines, with 91 subsidized bus routes and 37 non-subsidized ones. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a sharp decline in passengers on buses. Between April 28 and August 23, the number of bus passengers totaled some 33 million, dropping by 40% year-on-year.
