[custom_adv] he national coronavirus taskforce is planning to make wearing facemasks mandatory in public transportation, including buses and subway, a deputy health minister said. [custom_adv] Speaking to ISNA, Iraj Harirchi added that there are yet some incongruencies in the decision, but these safety measures must be taken in crowded places like subway stations and inside the trains. [custom_adv] “The authorities are also considering the distribution of subsidized facemasks at the entrance of subway stations to help implement the plan,” Harirchi said. [custom_adv] Pointing to the fact that in some countries, handmade facemasks account for about 40% of public usage, the deputy minister urged citizens to use homemade masks that are cost-effective and customizable. [custom_adv] “There are numerous do-it-yourself instructions in the media that can be of great help to the people,” he added.The measure is hoped curb the risk of using public means of transportation, considering the fact that the number of passengers using buses and subway is on an upward trajectory. [custom_adv] According to capital Metro CEO Farnoush Nobakht, the number of commuters using subway daily reaches 500,000.Nobakht said 7-8 a.m. and 1-2 p.m. are the metro rush hours and urged commuters to avoid the crowd as far as possible. [custom_adv] Officials have also marked subway seats with special signs to help passengers maintain a safe distance.“However, with the increasing number of passengers, the observation of these social distancing criteria will be practically impossible,” he said. [custom_adv] Social distancing is being promoted by governments as the most efficient way to minimize the spread of novel coronavirus and flatten its curve in affected communities. [custom_adv] The Managing Director of Tehran Urban and Suburban Railway Farnoush Nobakht and Managing Director and Member of the Board at Tehran Urban and Suburban Bus Company Mahmoud Taraffo monitored the disinfection process on Tuesday night, which has been done on a regular basis. [custom_adv] 150 city trains and 30 suburban trains were disinfected both their internal and external parts for all trains, either at service or in parking trains. [custom_adv] This procedure is done at the beginning and at the end of each line.Farnoush Nobakht told the Iran Press correspondent: “Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus in China, we have taken the necessary measures in coordination with the Ministry of Health. [custom_adv] The disinfectant and its instructions were determined on and we were ready for this, both for train and station cleaning.” [custom_adv] “We do everything we can to protect the health of our passengers, including removing one-way tickets and extending the duration of our air conditioners,” added the official. [custom_adv] Regarding the disinfection operations of buses, Mahmoud Taraffo said in an exclusive interview with Iran Press: “Disinfection is based on guidelines from the Ministry of Health, including the type of solutions, the frequency of disinfection, and how to do it.”
