Bhubaneswar: As temperature starts soaring in the State, the Transport Department has issued an SOP to tackle the heatwave this year.
As per the SOP, the public transport services will be rescheduled so that plying of buses during peak heat wave hours (11 AM to 3 PM) is restricted.
Provisions of safe drinking water, ice packs, ORS will be made in buses and provision of cool resting spaces will be made at bus stops. Over-crowding of passengers in the public transport vehicles will be avoided, it said.
Jalachhatras’ to be opened at bus stands and bus stops for the passengers. Temporary passenger sheds will be erected near the bus stops with provisions of drinking water.
Similarly, water kiosks will be set up on highways for the commuters.
“Proper checking will have to be made by the enforcement wing of the Transport Department and a penalty be imposed against the erring transporters/operators,” it said.
The Department has also asked concerned authorities to set up control rooms at district level and make it functional round the clock during the period of heatwave.
The bus/truck associations of the district and the local NGOs will be involved in a public awareness campaign about heatwave. Regular meetings will be held to sort out any issue related to heatwave management, says the SOP.
Srinivas Behera, Additional Commissioner (Admin) in the office of Transport Commissioner, Cuttack has been appointed as the nodal officer on behalf of Transport Department in this regard.
