Special permits to ride buses delayed
The special permits to be issued by the Transport Bureau (DSAT) that will allow those who need to commute to work this week by riding buses are delayed. The delay will likely cause havoc today.
At the press briefing of the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center, yesterday, the director of the DSAT, Kelvin Lam Hin San admitted that the bureau had not (at the time of the briefing) issued any of these special permits, a situation that can create challenges for those who need to commute to work today, especially during the early hours of the day.
“We have not issued any cards yet as we are still collecting data from the different departments and companies on this matter,” Lam said in response to a media inquiry on the topic.
Nonetheless, the same official reaffirmed the need to possess a special permit issued by the bureau to board the buses starting from midnight July 11.
Several citizens, namely those in the hotel industry, have expressed concerns over the issue stating that they need to continue to work but no permits are being distributed. These citizens worry that they need to bear the costs of commuting by taxi, at least for today, so they do not fail with their work duties.
A local resident, working in a hotel unit in the Cotai area, told the Times that the company has not distributed any permits yesterday and so, the workers will likely have to take taxis to work this morning as they will not be allowed to board public buses.
The same resident said that some co-workers have raised this issue to the company yesterday but, as the company has reduced the number of shuttle buses operating, the only solution would be for the workers to take the company’s shuttle bus that operates about six hours earlier than the time they start work.
The public is blaming the government for a rushed decision made over the weekend, when the public departments are closed and unreachable, calling on the authorities to enforce an exception for today so companies can process requests and supply their staff members with the necessary permits.
30 special public bus services will operate from July 11 to 18 amid the suspension of industrial and commercial services. The special public bus services include 24 daytime and six late-night bus services.
