COVID-19: Edo to begin clampdown on commercial drivers, others

Edo State Government will start arresting commercial drivers that violate the directive of the government on the number of passengers to be carried to curtail the spread of the Coronavirus disease in the state.

Mr. Mukhtar Osagie, the Coordinator of the state Public Works Volunteer Scheme (PUWOV), disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Benin on Thursday.

He said the enforcement would begin at the weekend and would be carried out across the state.

Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo had in a statewide broadcast to curtail the spread of COVID-19, said that commercial drivers would not be allowed to carry their usual number of passengers.

Specifically, the government directed that buses that used to carry 10 passengers would only be allowed to carry five.

Those with carrying capacity of 15 passengers would carry seven while taxis that usually carry six would be allowed to carry three passengers at a time.

The governor also pronounced that anybody going outside must wear a face mask.

Newsmen report that since the directive was handed down by the government about a fortnight ago, many commercial drivers had not adhered to it.

The PUWOV boss bemoaned the refusal to obey the directive.

According to him, now is the time to enforce, to stop the spread of the respiratory disease that had killed thousands of people across the globe.

Osagie said to that effect, any driver that contravened the directive of the government, would be arrested and arraign immediately before the mobile court that had been set up across the state.

He said beyond the arrest of drivers, government would also begin to arrest and prosecute those who disobeyed the directive on the use of face masks.

According to him, at the weekend, we are going full-blown on this directive but at the moment, we are still carrying out sensitisation on the directive.