Several buses operated by the Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) undertaking have been fitted with thermal scanners for passengers to check their body temperature on entry into the bus. The scanner – essentially an infrared thermometer, much like the handheld ones that have become common recently – is located near the driver’s cockpit in the untertaking’s Volvo fleet where passengers generally enter from the front.
A note on the exterior of the bus states that the bus is equipped with a “temperature checking device in Marathi. Detailed instructions on how to use them are provided inside the bus next to the scanner.
Here is a picture of the scanner, clicked by fellow bus-fan Pankaj on Instagram.
I’m not sure if other TMT buses or buses operated by any other transport body in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region are equipped with scanners yet.
AC buses operated by BEST are mostly on lease from private operators so including a scanner might be problematic. Further, given BEST’s minimum fare of ₹6 on AC buses, they remain crowded (especially in the absence of trains) and this may not work out well.
This measure, although welcome, should have been implemented at the start of the pandemic.
Let’s hope passengers make good use of it.
Also, don’t forget to follow Pankaj on Instagram: @_____pankaj____16
Also Read: Asian cities virus-proof public transit with smart shelters, thermal scanners by Rina Chandran for Reuters.
Also, if you intend to go out, don’t forget a mask and sanitizer!
Featured image: TMT Volvo on Route 126 (Dharmadhyaksha/Wikimedia Commons)
