Bus services across the country fall back into chaos while health experts fear that the lifting of restrictions on running at full capacity would intensify the risk of COVID-19 infection.

Regular bus fare with regular services came into effect on Tuesday while bus operators’ noncompliance to health regulations and charging of extra fares were witnessed at different places.

The Cabinet Division on Monday said in a notification that the respective ministries, divisions and other authorities should take necessary measures for the implementation of the safety guidelines regarding public movement and other activities.

The respective authorities would ensure that people wore face coverings, maintained distances and followed other health safety guidelines when they venture outdoors, it also said.

The restriction on public movement was lifted at a time when the country was still reeling from high rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths.

Until Tuesday morning, the country’s COVID-19 cases rose to 3,14,946 with 4,316 deaths, including 1,950 new cases detected and 35 more falling prey to the novel virus in the past 24 hours ending at 8:00am.

The positivity rate still stood at 20.16 per cent at present and the fatality rate has been recorded at 1.37 per cent.

Many passengers and transport workers were seen not wearing masks inside city-service and long-route buses.

During office hours, buses in the capital were seen taking standing passengers while they said that lack of transports triggered this violation.

Around the city, bus staff members were not seen spraying sanitisers on the hands of the passengers, let alone cleaning the buses before setting out on a trip in most of the cases.  

On the day, executive magistrates of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority filed several cases against buses for taking extra passengers and charging extra in the capital and the port city.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Division issued the notification after the expiry of the  previous order on August 31, which slapped several restrictions on public movement and activities, including a complete prohibition on staying outdoors from 10:00pm-5:00am, unless there is an emergency.

The previous order, effected from August 4 ordered closure of all shops, bazaars and malls after 8:00pm and prohibited all types of meetings, rallies and mass gatherings.

The new notification did not mention any such restrictions.

Directorate General of Health Services additional director general Meerjady Sabrina Flora told New Age on Monday that the overall infection rate was declining, but in some places a surge in COVID-19 patients was witnessed.

She said that the need for wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and hygiene was still crucial.

‘We may see a surge of infections if people start rampant movement without following the health guidelines,’ she said.

Virologist Nazrul Islam said that the lifting of the temporary restrictions on movement would only intensify the risks.

‘The government might have tried to strike a balance between life and livelihood, but people should now act to keep themselves safe from COVID-19,’ he said.

Former World Health Organisation regional adviser Muzaherul Huq said that the case positivity rate in Bangladesh was still above 20 per cent and it was still far from what may be dubbed as a ‘controlled situation’.

‘Such pandemic could not be controlled effectively without the vaccines, but some countries have already become successful in controlling the situation by enforcing WHO guidelines,’ he said.

‘The lifting of the temporary restrictions on public movement, the country’s COVID-19 situation will linger,’ he said.

On Saturday, the road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader asked the bus operators to charge regular fare with effect from September 1, withdrawing increased fare and restrictions on the number of passengers.

He also said that buses would be able to carry passengers on every seat, but they must not take any standing passenger.

Bus employees and passengers must also wear masks inside a bus and there must be soap, water and sanitisers available on each bus while it must be cleaned properly before and after every single trip, he added.

On Tuesday, in the capital, many passengers, drivers and their assistants were seen not wearing masks, with the only exception of staff members working for some of the well-known operators such as Midline Paribahan, Rajanigandha Paribahan, Bikash Paribahan and Trans Silva.

Some passengers at Science Lab intersection in the capital alleged that the bus staff members wer