COVID-19: Commercial Riders, Passengers In Kano Must Wear Face Mask, Use Hand Sanitizer -KAROTA

The Managing Director, Kano Road and Traffic Agency, (KAROTA), Baffa Dan’agundi, has disclosed that the state government has reviewed an earlier order and now allows tricycle operators to pick two passenger while taxis ate allowed to pick three passengers as part of measure to curb the spread of Coronavirus

It would be recalled that Kano State governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje had on Sunday banned tricycle operators from carrying more than a passenger in an effort to address the coronavirus as the first positive case was discovered on Saturday.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by KAROTA Public Relations Officer Nabilusi Abubakar K/Na’isa , the review became necessary after a meeting with the state Commissioner of Transportation, Muhammad Lawal and other concerned stakeholders.

Dan’agundi said henceforth, tricycle operators were allowed to pick two passengers as against one passenger earlier announced

He warned that anyone who violates the new order “would not be spared as the state government was determined to curtail the spread of the Coronavirus in the state and would spare no one who tries to jeopardize the health of the general public.’’

But he however disclosed that such tricycle must provided sanitizer for the passengers and each of the passengers must wear a face mask including the rider.

His words, ‘’Secondly, that henceforth, all Taxi drivers are to carry only two passengers at the backseat and only one at the front making a total of four including the driver and must all wear the face masks.”

The statement further disclosed that “taxi drivers too have been ordered to provide hand sanitizer for their passengers,’’

‘’Thirdly, that it has been agreed that all commercial buses are to carry only two passengers per seat and only one at the front and must all put on the face masks and drivers must provide hand sanitizers for all passengers.

“This also is applicable to all other commercial drivers that convey passengers from the town to villages within the state.’’

Furthermore, “all Vans, Trucks and Tippers conveying goods and services are to carry only one person besides the driver while conveying such loads and must all be on face masks with hand sanitizers made available in the vehicle.”

Based on this directive , the statement said the agency and other security bodies under the leadership of the state commissioner of police have been fully mandated to ensure compliance with the new order just as all the leaders of the various unions of road transport operators have agreed to work hand in hand with the security agencies.

Ashiru Umar, Chairman Kano Transport Forum (KTF), in the statement however stated that the Forum was in support of the directives by the state government and called on all who are into transport business in the state to comply with the order for the safety of lives in the state.

He then called on all drivers to ensure that they are “always wear the face mask to serve as example to their passengers so that together, the virus would collectively defeated in the state.’’

“It is our responsibility to contribute our quotas towards prevent the spread of COVID -19 in the state”