VIJAYAWADA: A team of motor vehicle inspectors (MVIs) on Saturday conducted an enforcement drive on MG Road to verify vehicle records and filed cases against a few of them for violating the COVID-19 norms, while ferrying passengers.
Deputy Transport Commissioner (DTC) S Venkateswara Rao warned the auto-rickshaw and maxi cab drivers of seizing their vehicles if they did not adhere to the norms. As announced by Collector A Md Imtiaz, the DTC said the drivers should take necessary permission from the district administration and the police, while ferrying passengers, especially in red and containment zones.
As per the guidelines issued by Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), wearing a mask is mandatory for all the passengers travelling in any vehicle. Five persons, including the driver, are allowed to travel in maxi cabs and four passengers, including the driver, in case of cabs. Three persons, including the driver, are allowed in an autorickshaw, while two can travel on a two-wheeler, he informed.
Stating that the government has permitted private bus operators to resume services, he said in this regard, thermal screening and hand sanitisation is compulsory for all the passengers before boarding the buses. He said the bus operators should also provide masks to those passengers, who do not have one, before the start of the journey.
“The operators are directed to resume their services with 50 per cent occupancy. Steps should be taken to spray sodium hypochlorite solution in each bus so as to disinfect it after every trip,” the DTC said.
The other norms include the drivers should not stop their buses near roadside dhabas and restaurants for having food and the operators should allow only asymptomatic drivers to drive the buses and they should be tested once a week. The bus operators should voluntarily send symptomatic drivers to quarantine centres and also gather the details of all passengers.