Safe Bus Travel keep you away from COVID-19
- M.A.Aleem Neurologist
Swachh Bharat Ambassador Tiruchirappalli city Corporation. Member Tiruchirappalli District Welfare Fund Committee
Trichy Tamilnadu India
In Tamilnadu public transport are reopened from 1st June in many districts.
-Travel less if you can, especially if you’re more vulnerable
The crowd are heavy in bus stops and in buses.
COVID-19 cases in Trichy yesterday 4.6.20 has touched the 100 mark with one death.
It is in people's hand to escape from COVID-19 during travel.
We are having less than 1 bus for every 1,000 citizens which leads to overcrowding in buses.
In our places in buses highest number of daily passengers traveling per seat per day (from 10 to 14) which means high overcrowding and less social distancing per bus. This what we are noticing in recent days after reopening of public transport.
Public transport is a necessity for people , even during the COVID-19 outbreak. But special precautions are needed for commuters to prevent against catching the virus when travelling around.
Here are some tips that you can follow to better protect yourself when taking public transport such as the buses
- Wear a face mask and try to stay at least one meter away from other passengers.
Masks are better at containing virus exhaled by the wearer. If everyone wears masks, protection is two-way, containing your own virus and protecting you from others’ exhaled virus. If there is little or no ventilation present, the masks are even more effective, as virus will start to build up in the air, so distancing alone is not effective if the virus is distributed throughout the bus.
-Maintain social distance within buses and at bus stops
-Seating should be arranged and seats that are not available for the public, can be earmarked using stickers along with earmarking of limited standing spaces in side the buses
- Ticket transactions should be cashless or over the counter. It will minimise bus user contact with the conductors.
- Avoid direct contact with frequently touched objects, such as handrails and seats .
-The use of air conditioners in buses shall be avoided for short term as it can help the virus to survive for a longer period. Also, in a closed environment with air-conditioning, the transmission distance of the coronavirus can exceed the commonly recognised safe distance. As the virus can survive in the air for some time, therefore open windows for ventilation in buses.
-The longer they are exposed to one another during train buses the greater the risk. The more densely packed in they are, the greater the risk.
- During travel If you talk, you produce aerosol. If you talk louder, you produce more, so the loud-talking guys on the buses are possibly the worst spreaders of the virus.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with more than 60 percent alcohol to use on the go.
- Wash hands frequently.
-Avoid people who are openly coughing or sneezing and avoid spitting from buses while moving .
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