Strengthening epidemic prevention and safety on public transit: New Taipei transportation frontline workers receive vaccinations over two days

(Taiwan TB News Network / Reporter Sun Yao-chang) As the COVID-19 pandemic remains severe, following multiple days of negotiations between the central and local governments, New Taipei City bus, New Bus, and MRT drivers and station staff received vaccinations in staggered groups over today and tomorrow (the 6th and 7th); New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih went to a vaccination station this morning to show concern for drivers receiving their shots. He said that drivers not only keep public transit running normally, but are also frontline warriors ensuring epidemic prevention and safety for nearly one million passengers every day.

New Taipei City Transportation Department Director Chung Ming-shih said that New Taipei has 2,608 bus drivers, 177 frontline staff at the MRT company, and 184 New Bus drivers, totaling 2,969 people; before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, New Taipei buses alone carried an average of as many as 800,000 passengers per day. Although the current situation has dropped sharply due to the impact of the pandemic, priority must still be given to protecting the drivers who maintain driving safety.

With assistance from the Health Department, the Transportation Department arranged for New Taipei bus, New Bus, and MRT drivers and station staff to receive vaccinations in staggered groups over today and tomorrow, with Far Eastern Memorial Hospital responsible for administering the vaccines, thereby comprehensively strengthening epidemic prevention and safety on public transit, allowing passengers to ride with greater peace of mind, and fully enhancing public transit service capacity.
         New Taipei transportation frontline workers received vaccinations in staggered groups on the 6th and 7th, and Mayor Hou Yu-ih personally went to inspect. (Photo taken by reporter Sun Yao-chang)