Qatar’s Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) has introduced additional measures of resuming public transit services within the first part of Phase 4 of the gradual lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
Qatar will allow public transit (buses and metro) to resume services at 30% capacity as of Sept. 1.
Service hours will remain the same as they were before the service suspension while the situation will be assessed on a weekly basis.
COVID-19 tests are mandated for all those who work on the public transit system and stations and ensure a negative result before allowing them to go back to work.
Temperature measurements are to be taken daily and continuously with mandatory isolation for those who exhibit disease symptoms and contacting the bodies concerned for any necessary precautionary and health measures.
Operators would also be required to train their staff in applying precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
Compliance officers
Authorities have mandated the need to provide ‘compliance officers’ according to the capacity determined on public transit (buses, metro and stations).
These officers will be responsible for ensuring compliance to all precautionary measures and that they are being followed by public transit users who must avoid crowding in front of the stations.
Operators are also advised to coordinate effectively and directly with service and vital public utilities associated with metro and bus stations such as the airport, shopping malls, hospitals and bazaars.
The intension is to make sure public transit customers do not crowd at these stations and do follow all precautionary measures, in addition to regulating the entry and exit of those who frequent the stations, the metro and the buses, particularly the metro stations with limited capacity.
