Since SARS erupted at the beginning of this year, austerities of communications at all levels in Guangdong Province have given top Priority to SARS Prevention and adopted effective measures to keep SARS within limits in conformity with relevant instructions of the Central Party Committee, the State Council, the Ministry of Communications, Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government. Up till now, neither a SARS case transmitted via transport vehicles nor any transport obstruction caused by SARS has taken place in Provincial communication sector. We have ensured the smooth Progress of SARS prevention and normal transport orders, maintained the development and stability of communications, and scored tremendous achievements in SARS Prevention.

1. Leaders attach great importance to SARS Prevention and establish a top-down responsibility system

In accordance with relevant instructions and requirements of the Central Pace Committee, the State Council, the Ministry of Communications, Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, leaders of authorities of communications at all levels have abashed great importance to SARS Prevention, taken sandy actions to improve leadership mechanism, brought about a province-city (county)-enterprise management system, and established a top-down responsibility system. We have organized a leading group led by Director Zhang Yuanyi together with other deputy directors and Participated by responsible division chiefs to guide and coordinate SARS prevention in Provincial communication sector and a 24-hour office to timely handle relevant issues. Bureaus (Committees) of communications at city and county levels have also promptly established their own leading groups and 24-hour offices to deliver relevant documents and measures to transport enterprises, passenger disport stations, quays and companies so as to program SARS Prevention comprehensively. Transport enterprises, passenger transport stations and quays have respectively established a responsibility system for persons in charge, stationmasters and conductors.

2. Comprehensive Programming and thorough implementation

After SARS broke out, we timely convened a special session for SARS prevention in provincial communication sector and comprehensively assigned SAR prevention tasks. The session specified the guidelines and objectives for SARS Prevention in provincial communication sector, namely, Two Principles, Three Passages, four Integrations and Five Forbiddances. Two Principles are A. To be practical, realistic and respectful of science B. To adopt adequate measures composedly to minimize the negative impact incurred by SARS. Three Passages are A. To clean and disinfect equipment at passenger transport stations and quays to ensure hygienic ventilation B. To disinfect vehicles and ships upon their rein and examine their hygienic conditions before their departure C. To take staffs and passengers' body temperature, require passengers to register and fill in health declaration cards and Permit only those with normal body temperature to board the vehicle (ship). Four integrations are A. integrate mobility with immobility in SARS prevention B. To join forces with other sectors to fight SARS C. To take both urban areas and rural areas into consideration D. to take both long-distance transportation and short-distance transportation into accord. Five Forbiddances are A. to forbid vehicles (ships) yet to be disinfected to depart B. to forbid suspect staff to be on duty C. To forbid suspect passengers to board the vehicle (ship) D. To forbid the delay of emergency material transportation E. To forbid the suspension of operational vehicles (ships). Leaders at all levels have been supervising and urging SARS prevention in Person on the battlefront. Besides, we have also organized four supervision groups, which were dispatched to monitor SARS prevention in communication sector in different regions throughout the province.

3. Formulation and implementation of contingency plans to prevent SARS transmission via transport vehicles.

Since transportation, especially passenger transportation, serves the general public, passenger transport vehicles and stations would easily fall prey to SARS transmission. To minimize that possibility, provincial communication sector has placed enormous emphasis on two aspects as follows:

(1) To formulate and implement contingency plans

In accordance with Notice of Prevention of SARS Transmission via Transport Vehicles issued by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Railway, the Ministry of Communications and National Bureau of Civil Aviation, we formulated a series of contingency plans in case we suspect SARS case should occur. Transport enterprises, passenger transport stations and quays also set up detailed and feasible contingency plans and operational measures according to their own realities. Furthermore, Guangzhou framed over 10 pertinent and feasible contingency plans in the light of different characteristics of communication industry, namely, highway Passenger transportation cargo transportation, public transportation, port affairs, navigational affairs, transport stations, airport affairs, highway administration, waterway administration and communication polytechnics. Qiongzhou Strait has also scored great achievements in SARS prevention and treatment. Though close coordination and cooperation, Guangdong Province and Hainan Province timely established a joint SARS inspection station equipped with three infrared temperature sensors and bettered their own Prevention mechanism and contingency plans, which laid a solid foundation for SARS prevention and treatment.

In compliance with relevant requirements of the MOC, we formulated a contingency plan for emergency material and medicine transportation, which required all cities to prepare their own emergency transport capacity in terms of 10 vehicles of 5-tonnage per 500,000 Persons. Meanwhile, we issued special passport for Emergency Materials to all cities to ensure the availability of transport enterprises, vehicles and drivers if need be.

(2) To Prevent SARS from spreading to rural areas.

In conformity with the requirements of the MOC, we brought individual Passenger transport vehicles in villages and towns into SARS prevention system. In collaboration with local governments and relevant department, we disinfected transport Stations, vehicles and ships, and formulated Passenger passport contingency Plans for rural areas. Once any SARS Patient or suspect was spotted, we would implement timely quarantine and recourse to departments of epidemic Prevention or health in the vicinity so as to Prevent SARS transmission via transport vehicles to all areas.

4. To integrate SARS confrontation with economic development to fulfill annual construction and Production tasks of communication.

Provincial communication sector, dedicated to State Secrecy-general Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao's instructions during their visit in Guangdong, has been integrating SARS Prevention with transport construction and Production and striving to achieve a win-win situation for both SARS Prevention and transport development.

(l) To guide disport enterprises to increase incomes and reduce expenditure so as to minimize the loss entailed by SARS. On the one hand, based on the satisfaction of people's transport needs, we shall lead Passenger transport enterprises to accommodate market changes and reduce transport costs by adjusting the number of runs of vehicles (ships), Meanwhile, transport enterprises shall elevate their service quality to clientele, On the Other hand, large-she enterprises should be encouraged to tap the passenger transport market in rural areas and develop city-township, city-administrative village and city-terminal market Passenger transport routes so as to exploit new economic growth points.

(2) To keep a firm hand on highway construction. Apart from the accomplishment of SARS prevention on construction sites, authorities of communications at all levels and construction organizations, centering on the objective of opening all municipal expressways to traffic by the end of 2004 ascertained by Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, shall work around the clock, Pay close attention to engineering Progress, quality, management and coordination enhance investment and administration and sustain the healthy development of disport construction. From January to April, 4,540,000,000 Yuan has been invested in Provincial transport infrastructure construction, an increase by 17% compared with the same term of last year. All municipal expressway projects and expressway Projects in mountainous areas have been in smooth Progress.

(3) To further the elimination and rectification of toll stations so as to optimal development environment and relieve the burdens on enterprises and car owners. In accordance with the Programming of Provincial Party Committee, Provincial Government and the MOC, we are now urging and coordinating all cities to formulate independent and feasible schemes and striving to remove or amalgamate over 60 provincial toll stations this year.

Editor: Liao Ming