Ondo government reels out guidelines for transporters, commuters

• Warns public transporters against overloading
• Fayemi sets up task force to enforce directives on gathering

The Ondo State government has urged public transport operators to avoid overloading, insisting that passengers’ spacing must be fully observed.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Transport, Mr. Tobi Ogunleye, said this in a statement to all transport workers in the state yesterday and made available to journalists in Akure.

According to Ogunleye, “all public transport operators are not allowed to overcrowd/overload their vehicles at this point in time and passenger’s spacing must be fully observed.”

He said: “NCDC recommends that at least two metres (five feet) distance is required between anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness.

“All transport operators/companies are expected to sanitise their parks and garages regularly and continuously (at least before and after each trip).

“All transport operators/companies are expected to have at the entrance to their respective parks/garages washing hand equipment with soap and running water.

“All operators are expected to have alcohol-based sanitisers in their vehicles for the use of drivers, conductors and passengers. Buses should be at 60 per cent capacity and not 100 per cent.”

The governor’s aide added that all public transport operators/company in the state must have temperature reader to test each passenger before boarding the bus.

Ogunleye insisted that drivers, tricyclists, okada riders and conductors should always wear hand gloves and nose guides while in transit and that passengers are also required to sanitise themselves before and after each trip.

In a similar vein, as part of the ways to ensure compliance with the directive of Governor Kayode Fayemi banning gatherings of more than 20 persons in Ekiti State, a task force was on yesterday inaugurated to enforce the directives to forestall the spread of the contagious disease.

It was also disclosed that 37 out of the 42 persons suspected to have had direct contact with the dead American that allegedly imported the disease to Ekiti State had been identified and put in isolation.

Fayemi, while inaugurating the committee, represented by the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Gbenga Agbeyo, said the government was not particularly happy about the way the order banning congregation of more than 20 people was being defied.