The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has arrested a total of 144 traffic offenders for overloading passengers in their vehicles as part of measures to curtail the further spread of Coronavirus among commuters through public transport.
The Corps Marshal of FRSC, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, disclosed this in a statement by the Corps’ Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem on Thursday.
Oyeyemi stressed that all categories of transporters must ensure full compliance with the provisions of Regulation 108 (1) of the National Road Traffic Regulation 2012 on compulsory passenger manifest.
He therefore directed all public transport operators to take necessary precautionary measures in the the discharge of their duties as failure to adhere strictly to order would attract sanctions.
He stateme reads;
“The corps observes that despite the palpable spread of the virus, public transport operators continue to board passengers to full capacity without consideration to social distancing, passenger manifest and seat spacing of passengers.
“This unhealthy behaviour if not put to check on time has the potential to fuel the spread of the virus.
“All passengers travelling; not only during the epidemic regime but at all times, have the statutory obligation to write down their full information in the passenger manifest before commencement of the trip".
Oyeyemi said that the document should contain basic information including contacts of next of kin of all the passengers travelling in the vehicle for ease of identification and contact in the case of any eventuality.
Oyeyemi further called for the provision of temperature readers to test all passengers before boarding and alcohol based sanitisers in vehicles for the use of all occupants including drivers and conductors and passengers.
It would be recalled that the Country has recorded 51 positive cases, and while trailing over 4000 contact cases discovered several travellers gave wrong addresses and phone numbers making the search more difficult.