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SINGAPORE: Twenty buses from transport operator SMRT have been adapted to help with the massive transfer of COVID-19 patients between places such as hospitals, migrant worker dormitories, and various community care and recovery facilities.
The buses, called COMET MAXI (Enhanced Transporters for Multiple Passengers COVID-19), can carry more than 30 passengers at a time.
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There is a watertight partition that separates the driver and passenger compartment as part of measures to minimize the risk of transmission.
“Each compartment has its own independent air conditioning system, which allows air circulation within both cabins to be separated,” SMRT announced Tuesday (May 12) in a joint press release with the Temasek Foundation, the engineering firm with Singapore-based HOPE Technik and Sheares Healthcare.
“The passenger compartment is equipped with a negative pressure system with a HEPA filter that will help ensure that only clean air is filtered from the passenger compartment.”
One of 20 SMRT buses that have been adapted to transport patients with COVID-19. (Photo: SMRT)
The driver’s section includes seats for two additional passengers, if paramedics or escort officers are needed.
Drivers do not contact passengers and vehicles are decontaminated after each deployment.
TRIGEN Automotive, HOPE Technik’s division of special functions vehicles, was responsible for the engineering design and conversion work of the buses, which have been in operation since May 6.
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It took about two to three days to update each bus, TRIGEN Automotive chief Vic Naidu said, adding that the work done is reversible.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, SMRT Roads President Tan Kian Heong said the buses have low floors, making them wheelchair accessible.
“We have chosen relatively new buses to make sure they are reliable on the road,” he said, adding that the buses are from SMRT’s “operational spare group” to minimize the impact on public bus services.
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Sheares Healthcare owns the COMET MAXI fleet, which will be used to complement the Ministry of Health’s patient transport services, while SMRT’s subsidiary STRIDES Transportation is responsible for overseeing operations, driver training and maintenance of the vehicles.
COMET MAXI drivers do not come from the SMRT group of bus drivers, but are specifically recruited for the job and must have a Class 4 driver’s license.
COMET MAXI drivers must wear personal protective equipment while on duty. (Photo: SMRT)
They will first go through 20 hours of SMRT training to familiarize themselves with the vehicles, STRIDES Transportation CEO Kelvin Soon said.
In addition, there were two additional hours of training by the Singapore Civil Defense Force on the proper use of personal protective equipment, to be worn during service.
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