As temperature starts soaring in the State, the Transport Department has issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) to tackle the heat wave.
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. Overcrowding of passengers in the public transport vehicles will be avoided.
Jalachhatras’ are 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,” the SOP said.
The department has also asked the concerned authorities to set up control rooms at district level and make it functional round the clock during the period of heat wave.
The bus/truck associations of the district and the local NGOs would be involved in a public awareness campaign about heat wave.
Additional Commissioner (Admin) in the office of Transport Commissioner, Cuttack,Srinivas Behera has been appointed as the nodal officer on behalf of the department