Road Traffic (COVID-19 Sanitary Measures) Regulations 2020

Government Notice 90 of 2020

This is the version of this Government Notice as it was from 17 May 2020 to 29 May 2020. Read the latest available version.
Citation
Government Notice 90 of 2020
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English
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Government Notice
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Mauritius

Road Traffic (COVID-19 Sanitary Measures) Regulations 2020

Government Notice 90 of 2020

Regulations made by the Minister under section 198 of the Road Traffic Act

1. Short title

These regulations may be cited as the Road Traffic (COVID-19 Sanitary Measures) Regulations 2020.

2. Interpretation

In these regulations –"Act" means the Road Traffic Act;"authorised officer" means –(a)a police officer;(b)an officer of NLTA designated by the Chief Commissioner; or(c)an operator or an employee designated by him;"operator" means the holder of a road service licence, contract bus licence or taxi licence, as the case may be;"senior citizen" means a person aged 60 or above;"Work Access Permit" means a permit issued by the Commissioner of Police under regulation 14(2) of the Prevention and Mitigation of Infectious Disease (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020.

3. Obligations of operator

(1)Every operator shall ensure that –
(a)every bus, contract bus or taxi he operates is properly cleaned on a daily basis prior to, and after, operation;
(b)protective equipment is provided to personnel working on board every bus or contract bus he operates;
(c)body temperature checks of his crews are carried out before they board any bus or contract bus; and
(d)markings are put in place to clearly indicate physical distancing requirements on board every bus, contract bus or taxi.
(2)For the purpose of paragraph (1)(d), the operator shall, in every bus, contract bus or taxi he operates, affix, in a conspicuous manner, a sticker, poster or notice on the seats which are not to be occupied by a passenger.

4. Conduct of passengers

(1)Every person shall, whilst being at any bus stop, bus shelter, bus station or taxi stand –
(a)wear a protective face mask; and
(b)comply with crowd management and physical distancing requirements as an authorised officer may determine.
(2)Every passenger in a bus shall –
(a)wear a protective face mask; and
(b)comply with crowd management and physical distancing requirements as an authorised officer may determine.
(3)
(a)Every passenger in a bus or contract bus shall occupy such seat as the bus conductor, contract bus driver, taxi driver or any other authorised person, as the case may be, may direct.
(b)No standing accommodation shall be allowed in a bus.
(4)
(a)Subject to paragraph (b), a taxi shall, during a trip, not accommodate more than 3 passengers, with a maximum of 2 passengers at the rear seats.
(b)Paragraph (a) shall not apply to a 7-seater taxi where up to a maximum of 4 passengers may be accommodated during a trip.
(5)A passenger may be subject to a body temperature check before boarding a bus, contract bus or taxi.

5. Restrictions on travelling

(1)No person, other than a person holding a Work Access Permit, shall travel in a bus during the peak hours of 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on week days.
(2)
(a)Subject to paragraph (b), a senior citizen shall be allowed to travel in a bus strictly on allocated days as specified in the Schedule.
(b)Paragraph (a) shall not apply to a senior citizen who holds a Work Access Permit and to a senior citizen who travels in a bus for the purpose of availing himself of medical treatment or procuring medicine.
(3)Notwithstanding this regulation, a person under the age of 18 shall not be allowed to travel in a bus, other than for the purpose of availing himself of medical treatment.

6. Operating hours of buses

The operating hours of buses shall be such hours as may be approved by NLTA, with peak hours from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 2.30 p.m. to 7 p.m. or at such other time as NLTA may determine.

7. Powers of authorised officers

Where an authorised officer has reasonable grounds to suspect that a person has committed or attempted to commit, or is committing or attempting to commit, an offence under these regulations, the authorised officer may –
(a)prevent that person from boarding any bus, contract bus or taxi;
(b)remove that person from any bus, contract bus or taxi;
(c)request that person to provide his name and address.

8. Offences

(1)Any person who –
(a)fails to wear a protective face mask at any bus stop, bus shelter, bus station or taxi stand, or on board any bus, contract bus or taxi;
(b)fails to comply with crowd management and physical distancing requirements on board any bus, contract bus or taxi;
(c)refuses to be subjected to a body temperature check before boarding any bus, contract bus or taxi;
(d)removes, defaces, alters or otherwise interferes with any sticker, poster or notice which has been affixed in a bus, contract bus or taxi;
(e)threatens, molests, hinders or obstructs an authorised officer in the exercise of his powers under these regulations;
(f)provides false or misleading information to an authorised officer;
(g)fails to abide by such other sanitary requirements as an operator may determine on board any bus, contract bus or taxi;
(h)otherwise contravenes these regulations,
shall commit an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding 50,000 rupees and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years.
(2)Where all the seats designated for the carriage of passengers in a bus, contract bus or taxi are occupied and the bus conductor, contract bus driver or taxi driver, as the case may be, admits other passengers therein, the bus conductor, contract bus driver or taxi driver, as the case may be, shall commit an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding 50,000 rupees.

9.

These regulations shall come into operation on 16 May 2020.

Schedule (Regulation 5(2)(a))

Allocated travelling days for senior citizens

Surname starting from –A-F (Monday and Thursday)G-N (Tuesday and Friday)O-Z (Wednesday and Saturday)
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History of this document

15 June 2020
Read this version
30 May 2020
Read this version
17 May 2020 this version
Published in Government Gazette 58
16 May 2020
Assented to
Commenced