Pablo Sigal
05/08/2020 - 19:14
- Clarín.com
- Society
Public transportation is the great cuckoo of quarantine release. Social distance is difficult to sustain when the greater the number of workers who rejoin their normal activities, since a large part of them need public transport to move. The question is what will happen after the new easing of the quarantine planned by the Government.
Today's figures indicate that since the quarantine began until this Thursday , the number of people traveling by subway, train and bus doubled . However, that amount is still 25% of what used to use public transport under normal conditions.
On the day the quarantine began, an average of 552,179 passengers traveled in these means of transportation in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area . This Thursday, that number jumped to 1,000,496 users. That is, almost double. In any case, under normal conditions the number of people traveling by subway, train or bus is 4,242,450.
In the last days, some images of people began to circulate in collectives, in situations in which the protocol would not be fully respected: people cannot stop . The distances in the rows must also be respected. The question is whether, with greater flexibility in quarantine, this situation will continue to be sustainable.
"The transport in the AMBA, as it happens 50 days ago, is adjusting unit quantities and frequencies, in general lines, to absorb the incorporation of new passengers. Recommendations and protocols were established for both drivers, buses, combis, trains and passengers, "said sources with the Ministry of Transport.
"The curve of the report shows how the entry of new excepted to economic activity is impacting on transport , week by week, announcement by announcement. And transportation is resisting for the moment."
Transportation uses during mandatory isolation
Source: MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT Infographic: Clarín
According to official figures, today 9,500 buses are circulating in the metropolitan area , which represents 70% of the automotive fleet (15,000 total). According to Transportation sources, "these units today have a lot of space between passengers. If necessary, the number of buses increases and then adjusts based on the analysis of the number of passengers and uses. The number of passengers on a normal day is 4.5 million. "
According to the official protocol, drivers must be physically isolated with a transparent material . In addition, in units where possible, the front door of the vehicle is closed, which remains for the exclusive use of the driver. The income and expenses of the group are made through subsequent entrances.
As for trains, there are currently only 68 formations on all lines , which although today responds well to demand, is the only thing that cannot grow due to the limitation: it cannot be built or bought. "Today the operation is focused on peak times having a 100% working day frequency. This can eventually be reinforced in two ways, already proven weeks ago: long-distance buses that do a similar route and reinforcement of line buses with the same route, "said the sources.
Another element that the Government plans to bet on is the bicycle. Minister Mario Meoni proposed to the head of the Buenos Aires Government, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, the incorporation of bike lanes connecting with the province of Buenos Aires and exclusive motorcycle lanes also connected to the Province. To this was added the return of the combis as another element to decompress public transport. Although by protocol they must have an occupation of 60 percent of their capacity.
Another initiative in the pipeline, which would be announced in the coming days by the Government so that social distancing continues to prevail in public transport, is the launch of a line of special credits for the purchase of bicycles, electric bicycles and skateboards , something that could be announced in the coming days. Although the option, which in Europe is a great alternative at this time of gradual opening, has the point against Argentina that the cold season is approaching .
The report of the Ministry of Transport also focuses on the movement of cars that use the Buenos Aires-La Plata highways, although the isolated individual movement has a less important impact on promoting the community circulation of the coronavirus. Today 76 percent fewer vehicles are moving on that road. This means a total of 47 thousand, against 199 thousand the same day last year.
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