Recently, the Ministry of Transport issued the "Notice on Doing a Good Job in the Prevention and Control of the Epidemic during the 2021 Spring Festival Travel Season by Road and Waterway" (hereinafter referred to as the "Notice"). The Notice requires transportation authorities at all levels to strictly implement epidemic prevention and control measures, strengthen transportation organization and support, and make every effort to do a good job in all aspects of the Spring Festival travel season, so as to ensure that the epidemic does not spread due to the Spring Festival travel season and that passengers can travel in a healthy, safe and orderly manner.

The notice requires that epidemic prevention and control be effectively implemented, including strengthening emergency command and dispatch for epidemic prevention and control, strictly implementing routine passenger transport service prevention and control measures, effectively strengthening passenger transport control to and from medium- and high-risk areas, strengthening the self-protection of Spring Festival travel service personnel, strengthening on-the-spot emergency response for epidemic prevention and control, and strictly implementing freight service prevention and control measures. This will ensure the 24-hour operation of the transportation epidemic prevention and control emergency command system. Simultaneously, it mandates strict control of passenger load factors on transportation vehicles based on regional and hierarchical classifications, implementation of mandatory testing for Spring Festival travel service personnel, strict enforcement of mask-wearing for passengers throughout their journeys, and effective ventilation and disinfection of transportation vehicles. It also urges and guides road freight companies and freight station operators to comprehensively disinfect freight vehicles and stations and protect their personnel.

The notice points out that it is necessary to strengthen transportation organization and guarantee, and effectively carry out the organization of road passenger transport, waterway transport, and key material transport; it is necessary to strengthen safety and emergency response, strengthen safety supervision and management, strengthen safety and emergency preparedness, and strictly follow the relevant regulations of the Ministry of Emergency Management to do a good job in emergency transport capacity, material reserves, and the on-duty standby of professional rescue teams; it is necessary to strengthen road network operation guarantee and epidemic prevention and control, improve highway traffic conditions, strengthen road network operation monitoring, strengthen road network operation service guarantee and epidemic prevention and control in service areas and toll stations; it is necessary to strengthen Spring Festival travel service guarantee, optimize passenger ticketing services, and improve passenger waiting experience; and it is necessary to strengthen Spring Festival travel publicity and guidance, steadily carry out Spring Festival travel publicity, and effectively guide healthy and civilized travel.