Vehicles at Miền Tây (Western) Coach Station in HCM City. — VNS Photo Nguyễn Diệp

HCM CITY — The operation of all taxis and service vehicles with fewer than nine seats in HCM City is temporarily suspended for 15 days, starting today (April 1).

The city’s Department of Transport on March 31 sent an urgent document asking transport units and relevant agencies to implement the suspension until April 15.

Accordingly, all taxis, tourism transport and contract cars, and others that use advanced technology in management, will temporarily stop their transport business services to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Vehicles are still allowed to operate if they are used for transporting goods and materials for production, and are providing food and other basic necessities. Shuttle buses carrying workers are also allowed. 

Inter-provincial coaches from the city to other provinces within a distance of around 100km are permitted to run two trips per day. Others of a longer distance are allowed to transport passengers for one trip a day.

The coaches must carry half their designed capacities with no more than 20 passengers at a time, and must be disinfected before picking up and after dropping off passengers.

All passengers must fill out health declaration forms before departure.

Traffic inspectors have been asked to closely monitor and work with concerned units to inspect and handle violations.

The department has suspended operations of all public buses in the city until April 15.

The Government has asked the public to follow stringent social distancing measures, including restricting people from leaving their homes and banning gatherings of more than two people in public.

If people must leave their house in case of emergency, they must keep a minimum distance of two metres from others. 

The order will apply nationwide for 15 days from April 1-15. — VNS