Bus ride-hailing service Airlift announced on Tuesday that it had decided to keep its operations suspended during August and September, adding that Covid-19 "continues to be a threat" even as the country was easing virus restrictions.

In an email to customers, Airlift said they wanted to explain their decision to customers by providing visibility into why they had decided to keep operations suspended.

"Over the past few months, hundreds of thousands of individuals have been impacted with Covid-19 — many have lost their lives due to the pandemic.

"It is a well established fact that being in enclosed spaces exposes individuals to a high risk of contracting the virus.

"Although the number of new cases in Pakistan has reduced in the past few weeks, the risk of infection still remains high and may threaten the health and safety of our customers," it said, adding that in their opinion, travelling in buses was not safe for passengers in the current environment.

"The situation regarding the pandemic remains uncertain. In other countries, we are seeing subsequent waves."

Airlift added that it would revisit its decision on October 1. "Please note that we are excited to serve our passengers once the situation stabilises," the email concluded.

Last week, the government had announced it was lifting restrictions on the tourism sector, restaurants and public transport, after months of suspension.

The decisions were made during a meeting of the National Coordination Committee, which was presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan and attended by representatives of all the provinces. The meeting participants also decided to lift restrictions on railways, airlines and metro buses.

However, restrictions on the number of people allowed to travel by trains, planes and buses and the mandatory gap between the passengers will remain in place till September. These will be lifted by October if the situation allows.