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May 17, 2022

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The busy long-distance bus drivers

Residents of neighboring Ningbo City in Zhejiang Province would have been surprised to see Songjiang buses on Ningbo roads recently. By April 24, 119 Songjiang Bus Company drivers had brought nearly 20,000 COVID-19 patients, close contacts, medical staff, and goods to Ningbo for quarantine and support.

The drivers had grown accustomed to a life of receiving orders around the clock, wearing impermeable protection gear for extended periods of time, running errands frequently, and missing meals.

Songjiang Bus Company deployed 88 coaches within 24 hours of receiving their first order on April 4. The drivers began their journey at 2am, arrived in Ningbo at 6am, and were on their way back to Songjiang at 9am. They relocated a total of 1,900 people that day.

The organization received another transfer task on April 6. Within 24 hours, 39 buses ran through villages and quarantine sites in Jiuting, Sijing, and Xinqiao towns, picking up the sick and transporting almost 1,000 people to Ningbo.

One of the bus drivers, Xue Jianzhong, was the first to apply for the enrolment.

“The sooner we start acting, the sooner we’ll reach zero-transmission in communities and people will feel more at ease,” Xue said.

Qian Changjun, a Party member, was a driver who moved over 500 passengers in three days. To save time using restrooms along the way, he just drank a small amount of water.

This time, Qian Yongjie, the company’s safety manager, offered to drive. His hands were white after being encased in rubber gloves for an extended period of time.

The drivers would rigorously sterilize their buses after each trip. And their board and lodging were arranged at a specific hotel.




 

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