Investigation on Physical Distancing Measures for COVID-19 Mitigation of Rail Operation in Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is the global health crisis and was declared a pandemic on 11th April 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO). The most common solution is physical distancing which refers to avoiding close contact with other people by keeping a physical space between others. The COVID-19 pandemic is challenging mass transit services which are usually crowded with passengers. There is a need for an effort to save lives and stop spreading the virus, but metro transit still needs to provide services to people. Although the metro operators in Bangkok had a quick response to this pandemic by implementing physical distancing measures at stations and in passenger cars, effective levels of these measures are still under question. This study compares the physical distancing data surveyed during the COVID-19 pandemic and close contact transmission by breathing which defined the risk distance. The study investigates passenger levels of infection risk from close contact transmissions by breathing during the time at the metro station, based on the location where activities take place in metro stations: concourse level, platform level, and in the passenger car during the commute. The results show the risks of infection at metro stations and for passengers compared between the three metro operators in Bangkok city: Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS), Metropolitan Rapid Transit (MRT), and Airport Rail Link (ARL).