Commercial bus drivers in Onitsha metropolis are yet to comply with state government directive on the number of passengers on board their vehicles at a time.
Staff Reporter Blessing Ijedibia who monitored the level of observance said that all the drivers of various commercial vehicles still stick to the number of passengers before the directive was issued.
It was observed that shuttle buses plying Umuoji- Nkpor route had seven passengers as against state government directive of three while Keke riders carried five passengers going contrary to the directive.
Coaster and Mini buses were not left out in flouting the directive as a guard against coronavirus as they conveyed up to thirty passengers from Nkpor to Onitsha Main market.
The story was the same with commercial vehicles plying various areas including Nkpor to Aguata, Anocha ,Awka Axis as all maintained the usual system of loading .
One of the drivers of the shuttle buses Mr. Tochukwu Igwemadu said for them to comply there must be a sharp increase in transport fair.
According to him, a shuttle has the capacity of seven passengers and if they reduce to three, the transport fair will be two hundred naira as against hundred naira per passenger .
However ABS crew observed a slight drop on the number of vehicles that normally gather at the New parts junction Nkpor .
In Awka capital City, Keke drivers plying Goodwill junction –Aroma axis are lamenting lack of passengers as civil servants and students now stay at home.
One of them Mr. Emeka Kalu said they will start compliance today because they sensitized passengers on the directive by the government.
He lamented law patronage since government offices and schools were shut down
Another driver Mr. Ferdinand Ezeh explained that the situation will bring about hike in transport fare as according to him, a ride from Goodwill junction Okpuno to Aroma junction will now cost two hundred naira per passenger instead of one hundred naira
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