All bus routes in Hà Nội have resumed operations on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — All bus routes in Hà Nội have resumed operation from Monday, but each bus must not have more than 30 people on board, including passengers, drivers and conductors, according to the city's Department of Transport.

The city bus system was suspended during the national social distancing period lasting from April 1 to 22.

About 20 to 30 per cent of the routes resumed between April 23 and 30 after social distancing policies were eased.

Thái Hồ Phương, deputy director of the Hà Nội Public Transport Management and Operation Centre said all buses must be sanitised before departure and arrival every day, and have hand sanitisers and waste baskets with covers on board.

All bus staff and passengers must wear face masks.

“The number of people on each bus must not exceed 30. Passengers have to stay away from each other at least one seat or one metre,” he said.

There will be 28 passengers on a 60-seat bus. The number of passengers on a smaller bus must not exceed 50 per cent of its carrying capacity, he said.

Passengers who show signs of fever, coughing or breathing difficulty will be reported to nearby healthcare centres or the health ministry’s hotline for further assistance.

In HCM City, 69 subsidised bus routes have started to run again after the social distancing period with 50 per cent of the trips back to normal.

The operation of 27 other routes with less than 1,200 passengers per day each continues to be suspended until further notice.

Passengers must keep distance from each other while the buses must open windows or set AC temperatures at 26 degrees Celsius or higher.

HCM City’s first river bus route from Bạch Đằng, District 1 to Linh Đông, Thủ Đức District also resumed operation on Monday. — VNS