The Indian Weekender, Friday 18 September 2020

8 NEW ZEALAND
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
The emergence of the second wave of
Covid-19 in the community in mid-
August has prompted the government
to make the use of face-masks compulsory in
public transport along with strict maintaining of
social distances.
One of the most vulnerable spaces that
can spread Covid from one place to a distant
location is through public transport if proper
precautions are not taken by travellers.
To prevent or reduce the spread of the virus,
masks were made compulsory by the Ministry
of Health on public transports and were
enforced from Monday, August 31.
Thus, drivers of public transport, be it a
taxi, buses, or train conductors who are the
first point of contact with the passengers were
tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that
passengers were adhering to compulsory masks
restrictions.
Even after the relaxation on social distancing
on public transports including
flights from
Monday, September
14 as announced by
PM Jacinda Ardern,
masks are still
compulsory to
worn on all public
transports irrespective
of which part of country
people are travelling in.
So how does it impact the bus
drivers – who are at the frontline of managing
the spread of Covid-19 through our public
transport busses?
What kinds of challenges are they facing
Priyanca
Radhakrishnan
Labour List MP based
in Maungakiekie
Maungakiekie Office
09 622 2660
priyanca.radhakrishnan@parliament.govt.nz
Level 1 Crighton House, 100 Neilson St,
Onehunga (entrance via Galway St)
| | priyancanzlp
while policing passengers to wear facemasks,
if any, at all?
Friday, September 18 , 2020
The Indian Weekender spoke to few Kiwi-
Indian bus drivers in Auckland of the new
challenges of policing the passengers and
ensuring they always wear facemasks while in
their respective busses.
Avtar Singh – Driving in different Alert
levels is an altogether different experience
Avtar Singh has been a bus driver for five
years now and has driven on almost every route
connecting in Auckland and North Shore from
one corner to another.
Avtar said that driving in Alert Levels 4, 3 and
currently 2.5 is much different from what he had
seen all these years. Since seating restrictions
and compulsory masks were in place- he felt
much more safe driving passengers from one
destination to another.
“We have had 15 passengers’ restriction in
the bus, and I feel that is much safer for a driver
transporting hundreds of travellers from one
point to another on a daily basis,” Avtar adds.
Avtar further added that he wears his mask
whenever working, makes sure there is a
maximum of 15 passengers on board at a time,
and they tag the hop card when boarding and
all are wearing masks, but with hundreds of
passengers from different age groups- not all
are compliant to the rules and sometimes he has
to make a few exceptions.
“All the passengers come through the rear
door only, we had marked seats for passengers
to sit so distancing is maintained, and there is
a cordon just ahead of the wheelchair seating
space and make sure no passenger comes
beyond the cordon close to the driver.
“When I am driving towards the South
Auckland route, sometimes, I get passengers
who come in groups and do not wear masks- I
request them a couple of times, but it’s not easy
dealing with them or making them compliant,”
Avtar Singh added.
The Indian Weekender
How has been the life of drivers of Auckland’s
public transport with compulsory mask restrictions
"We
have 15
passengers’ restriction
in the bus, and I feel that
is much safer for a driver
transporting hundreds of
travellers from one point
to another on a daily
basis."
passengers who just climb the bus, don’t pay/
tag their hop cards and sit it groups not wearing
masks.
He says he has had to deny passengers at
times if the max capacity of the bus is attained
or they are not wearing masks- but most of the
times he has to accommodate them.
“We have to make sure there are 15 maximum
passengers, but sometimes, it’s raining, and
some people come in pairs, or groups and you
have to accommodate them- asking them to sit
near the wheelchair space of the bus, just ahead
of the cordon,” Satwant Singh said.
"We often get
passengers
who do not carry cash,
or their hop card is not
working, and in such
cases, we have an option
in our system to issue
a free ticket for them
so that we have a track
of how many free or
complimentary tickets we
have issued in a run
Authorised by
Priyanca Radhakrishnan,
Parliament Buildings, Wellington
Satwant Singh – almost started the job when
Auckland went into lockdown
Five months into the job, Satwant Singh says
he gets both kinds of passengers- some are
compliant, adhere to the seating restrictions and
wear masks etc. and sometimes there are few
Komalpreet Singh – This is new normal,
and we are prepared for it
Komalpreet Singh who usually drives
between Glen Innes, Sylvia Park and Onehunga
has spent three months into the job and is happy
with the work and has made sure passengers
are compliant with social distancing rules
and masks.
“We often get passengers who do not
carry cash, or their hop card is not working,
and in such cases, we have an option in
our system to issue a free ticket for them
so that we have a track of how many free or
complimentary tickets we have issued in a run,”
Komalpreet said.