COVID-19: C’ River govt enforces purchase of hand-sanitisers by commercial transport operators

The Cross River Government on Wednesday threatened dire consequences for commercial transport operators in the state who flout its directive to provide hand sanitisers in their vehicles for use of passengers.

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Following the directive of Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River, staff of the State’s Ministry of Health were stationed at the office of the Traffic Management and Regulatory Agency to sell hand sanitisers to commercial drivers and members of the public.

Speaking to newsmen on the development in Calabar, the Director General of the Traffic Management and Regulatory Agency, Mr Godwin Nyiam, stated that the Agency would embark on serious enforcement as part of strict policy to ensure compliance.

“All commercial vehicles and drivers who have not purchased their hand sanitisers are advised to go to the Agency’s office in Calabar to purchase theirs.

“In the same vein, all tricycle operators (Keke) are now required to carry only one passenger at a time and commercial taxi drivers must not carry more than two passengers at a time.

“Failure to comply with the new directive which is put in place to checkmate the spread of the dreaded coronavirus (COVID-19) will attract severe consequences such as impoundment of the vehicle,” he said.

However, a taxi driver, Mr John Eyo, told our correspondent that taxi drivers in the state were dissatisfied with the directives, adding that the government did not care about the masses in the state.

“How do they expect us to survive, they still sell tickets for N550, they expect us to carry only two passengers at a time, the fuel stations are still selling fuel for N145 per litre, despite the Federal Government’s directives.

“Now, they brought a new one that every driver must purchase hand sanitisers for N1,000 or else his vehicle would be impounded.

“That cannot happen: are these hand-sanitisers not supposed to be given free to residents?

“While other nations are carrying out measures to support their citizens at this time of COVID-19, the government of Cross River is only punishing its residents more and more,” he said.