Road Safety officers control traffic at the Niger Bridge in Onitsha, Anambra State
By Sunny A. David
Transport operators in Anambra State have maintained full capacity loading of their vehicles despite directives of the State government following growing global threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Commercial buses and shuttles load 14 and 7 passengers respectively, while tricycle operators popularly known as Keke, carry four passengers.
The Governor of the State, Chief Willie Obiano, had in a broadcast on Monday, restricted public transport operators in the State to specific number of passengers as part of measures to contain the pandemic.
Governor Obiano directed tricycle riders popularly known as Keke not to carry more than two passengers at a time, while drivers of shuttle buses must not carry more than 3 passengers at a time.
He said drivers of township and mini buses must not carry more than 5 passengers at a time.
“Public transport operators are directed to submit the manifest of all passengers coming into Anambra State to the appropriate authorities with their names, phone numbers, residential addresses and final destination,” he added.
Our correspondent who monitored level of compliance at some of the parks in the State on Tuesday, however observed that the transporters were yet to comply with the directives.
While commercial bus and shuttle drivers still carried 14 and 7 passengers respectively, tricycle operators loaded the usual four to five passengers, one or two in the front with the driver and three at the back.
Some of the drivers who spoke to our correspondent described the directives as unrealistic and laughable.
They said the only clause in the directives that made sense was that of maintaining a habit of frequent hand-washing with soap and water as well as use alcohol based hand sanitizers.
A commercial bus driver at the popular Aroma junction in the State capital, who simply identified himself as Papa Miracle, wondered the possibility of adherence to such directives.
“Since yesterday night I heard the news, I’ve been wondering how such order can be adhered to by the transporters. If they say we should be carrying only five passengers as against 14, how can we make it?
“Unless they want us to increase the price, which will be difficult for the passengers to pay,” he said.
A tricycle operator, Emmy Ndeke, at the Boromeo bus stop in Onitsha, the commercial city of the State, dismissed the directives as mere theory only obtainable on paper.
He said, “If they say it’s because of coronavirus that they are giving the order, is it only when we carry only two passengers that the disease won’t spread. Abeg let us be realistic.
“If it’s the general maintainance of the habit of frequent hand-washing with soap and water as well as use alcohol based hand sanitizers, that we can do.”
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