Covid-19 impact on public transport and safe revival: practices and innovations
In response to the surging COVID-19 infections, Nepal went into a complete lockdown from March 2020
Abstract
In response to the surging COVID-19 infections, Nepal went into a complete lockdown from March 2020. Public transportation resumed service from late July 2020, with limited guidelines issued by the Department of Transport Management but the service was halted for a second time in August 2020. From September, only half the vehicles could operate as the government issued an odd-even rule, which allowed odd number plates to ply on odd dates and even number plates to ply on even dates.
Due to the two lockdowns and the odd-even rule that followed, the sector has suffered huge financial losses and the entire sector continues to suffer from a prolonged drop in commuter demand.
There are significant concerns from an epidemiological angle; bus, mini-bus, micro-bus, tempo (threewheelers), taxi, and motorcycle taxis are the dominant vehicle types in Nepal. The passenger carrying capacity ranges depending on vehicle size and each vehicle has different boarding and un-boarding systems, seat arrangements, ventilation and air-circulation systems, and length of routes. All of these factors make each vehicle represent different epidemiological risks, but neither the government nor the public is aware of the relative risk exposure in choosing different types of vehicles available in the mix. This study fills that crucial gap.
This is an output of the High Volume Transport Applied Research Programme
Citation
Dr. Jagadish C. Pokharel, Kishore Thapa, Dr. Sagar Prasai, Dr. Prastuti Sharma, Dr. Ajay C. Lal, Ranjan Bhatta, Richa Dhungana, Ankit Karna (2021) COVID-19 Impact on Public Transport and Safe Revival: Practices and Innovations. Available from: http://transport-links.com/download/covid-19-impact-on-public-transport-and-safe-revival-practices-and-innovations/
Link
Covid-19 impact on public transport and safe revival: practices and innovations