-The Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo, effected a site visit, today, at the National Transport Corporation (NTC) depot of Bonne Terre to take stock of precautionary measures being undertaken in the context of new transport arrangements for students sitting for School Certificate and Higher School Certificate exams as from 22 March 2021.

-More than 1 900 buses from several operators across the island, of which 400 of the NTC, will operate as from 05:30 am along every normal routes, with exceptional measures for the Constituencies 15, 16 and 17. Necessary measures have been taken for all buses to be cleaned and sanitised so as to ensure safety of users.

-Regarding the red zones around the island, students should wait on their usual bus station or bus stand for buses displaying the required sticker of Examination Bus.

-Students, who may be accompanied by one parent, should produce their Student Identity Card and their respective examination timetable to avail of the free bus transport facility.

-Invigilators and non-teaching staff will also be authorised to travel in those buses, provided that they present their letter of appointment. There will be a bus conductor in each bus to ensure that every user abides by all requirements.

-Arrangements put in place for the students are over and above the skeleton bus service (15% of the whole service) in operation along major routes on a restricted basis.

-Minister Ganoo also appealed to bus operators to drop students as close as possible to their examination centre, even if there is no existing bus stop there. Police officers are also advised to be more flexible with buses bearing the Examination Bus sticker when they will enter the red zones.

-Buses carrying students to examination centres will stay in the vicinity of the centres so as to ease the movement of students once their respective exams are over.

-Minister Ganoo further recalled that a hotline on 8923 will be launched on 22 March 2021 to provide information, receive complaints, and support parents. It will be operated by representatives of the Mauritius Police Force, the National Land Transport Authority, the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, and the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate.

-The updated arrangements have been worked out by all concerned stakeholders following some 2 000 suggestions and comments received from parents and students.

Source : GIS Mauritius