G.O. (Ms) No. 263, Permitting Buses with A/C Facility, 2021

What the document does

G.O. (Ms) No. 263 of the Revenue and Disaster Management (DM-4) Department permits buses with air conditioning to operate throughout Tamil Nadu with immediate effect. It covers:

• All Tamil Nadu State Transport Undertakings.
• Private bus operators.
• Buses operated or engaged by industries to transport employees.
• Buses engaged by schools and colleges to transport students when needed.

The permission follows an earlier stoppage of air-conditioned bus operations from 25 March 2020. The document states that the non-operation of 702 air-conditioned buses had significantly affected the revenue of Tamil Nadu State Transport Undertakings.

Conditions for air-conditioned operation

G.O. (Ms) No. 263 requires operators to follow the Standard Operating Procedures in G.O. (Ms) No. 262 of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, dated 31 May 2020, together with Central Public Works Department air-conditioning and ventilation guidelines.

Key air-conditioning requirements include:

• Air-conditioning devices should be set between 24°C and 30°C.
• Relative humidity should remain between 40 and 70 percent.
• Fresh-air intake and cross ventilation should be maximised.
• The circulation system should provide more than 50 percent fresh or treated fresh air.
• The bus air-conditioner temperature should be above 25°C, with maximum air circulation.
• People with co-morbid conditions and senior citizens above 65 years of age should be barred from boarding for travel.

Public transport safety procedures

The attached Standard Operating Procedure includes the following measures:

• Buses must be disinfected before and after every trip.
• Passengers must enter through the rear gate and leave through the front gate.
• Sanitizer dispensers must be available near both gates.
• Seats to be occupied or left vacant must be marked for physical distancing.
• Passengers must cover their mouth and nose with a mask or cloth.
• Passengers with fever, cough or other ailments cannot travel.
• Passengers must wait for the next bus if all seats are occupied.
• Crew must undergo daily temperature checks and use masks and gloves.
• Bus terminals and stops must be cleaned and disinfected twice daily.

The procedure also promotes monthly passes and QR code payments to reduce cash transactions, while allowing conductors to issue physical tickets to passengers without a pass or digital wallet.

Relevance to property matters

G.O. (Ms) No. 263 concerns COVID-19 controls for bus transport. It does not change land ownership, registration, planning, revenue records or property rights.