Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the leading group on novel coronavirus prevention and control, paid a visit to Beijing West Railway Station on Feb 14 to inspect the arrangement of return trips to maximize prevention of the novel coronavirus.
During the inspection, he asked the staff to carry out instructions from President Xi Jinping and put in place measures rolled out by the leading group and the State Council, with well-planned and targeted measures to minimize spread risks that may be caused by transportation.
The Premier greeted passengers at the station and asked them to keep up good self-protection. He then checked the temperature measurement device and other prevention measures.
At the scheduling command center of the station, Premier Li inquired about off-peak travel schedules of national railway routes and future passenger flow trends.
Earlier national-level policies like extending the Lunar New Year holiday, flexibly resuming work and encouraging off-peak travel, coupled with measures rolled out by the railway system, have proved effective in preventing large population flows and ensuring smooth passenger and cargo transport, the person in charge of the center said.
A similar trend occurred in highway transport and civil aviation, said other accompanying government officials directing the two sectors, acknowledging the effectiveness of the off-peak travel approach in curbing possible chain-effect virus spread.
Premier Li praised related departments’ actions in smoothing transportation for epidemic prevention and control, urging greater effort as such work is still at a critical stage, especially when most regions are gradually restarting production.
Transportation departments should step up monitoring of passenger flows and properly arrange ticket selling, Premier Li said.
All vehicles, including cars, passenger coaches and trucks, should be temporarily exempt from highway tolls, he said, for unimpeded shipment of key medical materials needed for epidemic prevention and control and daily necessities, and to lower logistics costs for enterprises.
While paying ongoing attention to virus prevention and control measures, the government should continue to guide the public to travel in an orderly way, and facilitate work and production resumption step by step.
Premier Li stressed that transportation is both the main artery of people’s traveling and the lifeline of disease prevention materials and life supplies. Scientific, strict and effective measures of epidemic control and prevention must be implemented in public transport carriers and stations to ensure a safe trip for passengers, he added.
Also, the Premier said transportation efficiency must be improved. Illegal check posts and traffic interruption should be cracked down on to guarantee a smooth transportation of supplies and personnel.
Smooth transportation, Premier Li said, could support work and production resumption to better ensure all kinds of supplies and maintain normal economic and social order.
All regions and departments should spare no effort in epidemic control and prevention to achieve annual targets of economic and social development, Premier Li added.
The Premier visited the on-duty staff members of the railway station and told them to enhance self-protection, while extending gratitude to all workers in the whole country’s transportation industry for their contribution during the epidemic.
State Councilor Xiao Jie and He Lifeng, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, were also present.
