Regulations on the epidemic prevention and control in the cargo transportation

 

​The authorized forces checked the vehicles transporting the goods at the Dong Nai Bridge area (National Road No. 1, section through Bien Hoa City) 

Responsibilities of the business owners for the epidemic prevention and control

According to the regulations of the Department of Transport on guiding the transport activities by trucks during the period of prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic, before carrying out the transportation, the people on the vehicles must have the original certificate of valid SARS-CoV-2 tests; the drivers has received the tasks and received the information about the trips: the number of people accompanying with the vehicles, the transporting periods, the transportation itinerary, the delivery locations, the resting places, the expected place to take samples for the SARS-CoV-2 tests on the journey, and checking to ensure the technical safety of the vehicles; the people on the vehicles have made the medical declarations according to the regulations, been equiped with the medical  protective suits, masks, glasses, hats, gloves and shoe covers on the vehicles.

When the vehicles are moving on the road, the drivers must comply with the declared itinerary, deliver the goods, rest and gather the vehicles at the points identified under the transport organization plan of the transport units. When delivering, loading and unloading the goods that the vehicles have a journey to exit, enter or go through an epidemic areas, the people on the vehicles are restricted from leaving the vehicles’ cabins. In case of leaving the vehicle's cabins, the 5K principle must be strictly followed and kept a safe distance of at least 2 metres by them when in contact with others, etc.

The goods forwarders has been responsible for loading and unloading the goods without contacting the people on the vehicles; it must proactively arrange the locations, places to rest and temporarily stay for people on the vehicle while they have been waiting for the loading and unloading goods in order to ensure the epidemic prevention and control according to the regulations. For vehicles with journeys that have not gone out - in or through the epidemic areas, the people on the vehicles have been restricted from leaving the cabins; they must use the means of communication and limit the direct contacts. In case of leaving the cabins of the vehicles, the 5K principle must be strictly followed, etc.

At the end of the transportation tasks or the end of the working shifts, the transport units have needed to have a plan to manage the people on the vehicles after the end of the jouneys, requested the people on the vehicles to limit contact and strictly follow the 5K principle, and ensured the temporary accommodation for people on the vehicles in accordance with the instructions of the local health and relevant agencies.

In fact, the regulations are very strict and close to the guidances of the Ministry of Transport, but the observances of drivers and people following vehicles are not really serious. There are cases of drivers transporting goods without complying with the regulations of the epidemic prevention and control such as when they arrive at the delivery places, they get in and out of the vehicles.

The Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho assessed that the responsibilities of enterprises, the senses of vehicle owners and drivers had played an important role. The transport enterprises should need to organize and manage their driver teams, must absolutely comply with the medical regulations for drivers and attendants when participating in trafficking.

In addition, the organization of goods gathering locations should also be focused and the enterprises should centrally organize and manage the driver teams, not allow the drivers to move and have the wide contact. In case of the enterprises that cannot arrange the goods gathering locations, the People's Committees of the localities shall study and arrange and the enterprises shall be responsible for paying the costs. The management process of goods transport activities is ensured in a closed way in order to prevent the source of epidemic infection to the community.

Dong Nai Province has tightened the management

The Deputy Director of the Department of Transport Duong Manh Hung said that the criteria and regulations on managing the goods transport activities in the province are according to the requirements and guidances of the Ministry of Transport and the Provincial People's Committee. The Department has required the transport enteprises to actively develop plans and options to mobilize means of transportation, drivers, materials, supplies and spare parts of their units, capture the information about routes and jouneys as well as fully disseminate the transport plan to the people on the vehicles in order to ensure the compliance when required to participate in the epidemic prevention and control.

According to Mr. Hung, many provinces and cities have gradually transitioned to the "new normal" state after the implementation of the social distancing, causing the transport activities to gradually resume the operations. Therefore, the urgent requirement at this time has been to facilitate the circulation of goods, but the regulations of the epidemic prevention and control have also been ensured strictly and thorough. Thus, during the operations, the drivers must strictly comply with the regulations of the epidemic prevention and control.

From September 20, Dong Nai Province has implemented a plan to gradually restore the socio-economic, national defense and security activities, ensuring the prevention and control of Covid-19 in the new situation. The production and business activities in the area will be promoted. Recently, the Provincial People's Committee has also sent a document to the departments, branches, localities and enterprises on temporarily guiding on the implementation of production and business plans in order to ensure the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic. 

The Provincial People's Committee has required the enterprises to organize the concentrated transportation of the employees by means of trucks having to notify the list of the employees being transported to the commune-level People's Committees where the employees are residing for coordination and supervision. Transportation must be registered or issued a QR code. In case of the enterprises that have performed the exchange and addition of the employees, the enterprises should need to have a plan to organize the transportation of the employees. In which, there must be relevant informations such as vehicles, license plates, number of drivers, employees, routes as well as the start and end time of transporting the employees when moving.

In particular, the principle is ensured that there are only employees of the enterprises on the means of transportation and which truck the employees take to return to that vehicle (if going daily). The employees on the trucks must be checked their body temperatures. The people with symptoms of cough and fever should not be arranged on the bus. The fixed seat of the employees on the vehicles shall be managed. Do not stop, park or enter other places so that the people on the vehicle can come into contact with outsiders. At the same time, the vehicles have been disinfected after each return.

For the drivers and goods forwarders, they must comply with the regulations of the Department of Transport on guiding the transport activities by trucks during the period of the Covid-19 epidemic prevention and control. The enterprises and goods forwarders are responsible for loading and unloading the goods without contacting the people on the vehicles and arranging the contactless and disinfected goods delivery zones.

Mr. Le Van Danh, Deputy Head of the Dong Nai Industrial Zones Authority, said that the unit has also asked the Public Security of districts and cities and the Public Security Stations of the Industrial Zones to strengthen the support for Industrial Zones Infrastructure Investment Companies to arrange the patrol and control forces in the Industrial Zones, strictly guide, control and manage the movement of means of transporting the employees in and out of the Industrial Zones, which must be suitable to the new situation, ensuring the epidemic prevention and control.

Regarding this issue, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Cao Tien Dung noted that the establishment of checking points of Covid-19 epidemic prevention and control on the National Roads and neighboring localities had required the coordination in order to ensure efficiently and economically. In addition, the team of “green lane” drivers must be prevented to be the source of infection. The divers are required to wear the medical protective suits when getting off the vehicle. At the same time, the goods delivery forces and drivers have been given the priority to vaccinate full of 2 doses of Covid-19 vaccine at first in order to ensure the transport activities without being discrupted and affected when promoting the production and economic development

Le Binh