Hanoi Transportation Corporation (TRANSERCO) and public service providers are allowed to operate at 20-30% of their capacity from April 23 to 30, Kinh te & Do thi reported.

Providers of taxi, bus and ride-hailing services must ensure safety to prevent and control the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

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Under the instruction of Hanoi's mayor, the operation of public transport must be implemented cautiously and step by step to help stave off the pandemic spread. Drivers need to strictly abide by regulations on disease prevention and social distancing.

“People who do not wear face masks and gather in a crowd will be strictly punished. When on road, motorcycle drivers must keep a safe distance among themselves,” the Hanoi mayor said.

At a meeting on April 22, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc classified Hanoi as "risk-prone" while its two districts of Me Linh and Thuong Tin are rated as "high-risk". Therefore, the social distancing orders have been partly removed.

Earlier, the Ministry of Transport issued an urgent document imposing travel restrictions to contain Covid-19, which requires trans- and inter-provincial and city coaches running on contracts, tourist buses, taxi and buses to be suspended for 15 days starting from April 1.

The Vietnamese government also applied transportation restrictions from localities with Covid-19 outbreaks to other areas, and halted public transportation and large gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus.

Vietnam has confirmed 268 Covid-19 cases so far, of whom 223 have been discharged from hospital. Hanoi still leads the country with 112 Covid-19 infections but has not confirmed any new cases for eight consecutive days.