Public and private operators will resume services across the country as from Monday 22 March 2021 to Wednesday 31 March 2021 solely for students sitting School Certificate (SC) and Higher School Certificate (HSC) examinations, with a view to enabling them to reach the exam centres on time.
The announcement was made, today, in Port Louis, by the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo, in a press briefing detailing the transport arrangements in the context of the COVID-19 situation and the national lockdown.
“These new transport arrangements supersede the preliminary and exceptional bus routing proposed by the National Land Transport Authority (NLTA), after some 2,000 suggestions and comments have been received from parents and students”, stated Mr Ganoo. He added that the updated arrangements have been worked out by all stakeholders including the Ministry of Land Transport, the NLTA, the Police, and the National Transport Corporation with the collaboration of private bus operators.
Thus, buses will operate from 05:00 am along every normal routes, with exceptional measures for the towns and villages situated in Constituencies 15, 16 and 17. Students, who may be accompanied by one parent, should produce their Student Identity Card and their respective examination timetable to avail of the free bus transport facility. They are also advised to wear their school uniform to allow for easy identification. Parents and students are, moreover, invited to behave in a responsible manner and to be on time for their respective bus.
Invigilators and non-teaching staff will be authorised to travel in those buses provided they present their letter of appointment. There will be a bus conductor in each bus to ensure each and every one abide to all requirements.
Regarding the red zone situated within the boundaries of Constituencies 15, 16 and 17, students should wait on their usual bus station or bus stand for buses displaying the required sticker of “Examination Bus“.
A hotline on 8923 will be launched on 22 March 2021 to provide information, receive complaints, and support parents, said Mr Ganoo. It will be operated by representatives of the Police Force, the NLTA, the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, and the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate.
Talking of the importance of hygiene to curtail any COVID-19 contamination, Mr Ganoo stressed that everyone should wear their face masks, maintain social distancing, and use hand sanitisers regularly. He affirmed that dedicated buses would convey the students and that these vehicles would be cleaned and disinfected accordingly. He explained that the drop in ridership during lockdown period, with buses running at 15% of normal capacity, would facilitate the implementation of all these arrangements.
According to Mr Ganoo, these transport arrangements will be reviewed within the coming week to adjust for the upcoming National Certificate of Education (NCE) examinations, which have been rescheduled because of the lockdown. “Other transport planning requirements will be devised and communicated”, he averred.
Finally, the Minister underlined that arrangements put in place for the students are over and above the skeleton bus service in operation along major routes on a restricted basis. Therefore, Mr Ganoo appealed to other passengers, namely key workers, to make use of the skeleton bus service, which operates as from 06:00 am to 20:00 pm every day.