All commercial passenger vehicles to load from designated terminals – Transport Minister

Mr Kwaku Ofori Assiamah, the Minister of Transport, has directed all commercial passenger vehicles to load from designated terminals and advised passengers to desist from boarding at roadsides.

This, he explained, are part of the measures to ensure proper accountability of passengers by vehicle operators from points of boarding as their details could be required to be documented for future reference.

The Minister, who was addressing the media on measures put in place by the Ministry to coordinate transport operations in the midst of the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease outbreak in Ghana and globally, said any operator who flouts the directive would face strict sanctions by the transport unions, and no more be allowed to load at the stations or any other place.

Mr Assiamah said the Ministry, has met with transport operators to agree on enforcing some safety measures which include the adherence to all the GHS safety guidelines such as the provision and placement of handwashing facilities such as ‘veronica buckets’ with soap and water at vantage points at bus terminals for use both passengers and drivers.

He said the operators were also advised to observe high standards of hygiene by frequently cleaning of their vehicles and disinfecting their seats and other accessories; ensure good ventilation by keeping all windows opened rather than switching on their air conditioners.

Mr Assiamah said they have also been cautioned against overloading and encouraged the operators to use their public address systems in their lorry parks to educate the public.

He said the agreement with the transport operators are that they would ensure frequent review of the various directives saying “we may not achieve a 100 per cent compliance, but at least we must all be committed to work towards protecting people from getting infected”.

Hajia Alima Mahama, the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, also gave highlights of the Ministry’s engagement with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDA’s) to enhance the conditions of hygiene across the country.

She said Public Health Emergency Committees (PHEC) have been established MMDAs under public sensitization teams have also been set up and are effectively working.

Again MMDAs have also undertaken stakeholder engagements on the COVID-19 outbreak and has commenced public sensitization on preventive measures and good hygiene practices to curtail the spread of the disease; commenced the distribution of flyers and posters as well as the playing of jingles in local languages on local FM stations to educate and sensitise the public.

Hajia Alima said the MMDA have also taken the members of the through proper hand washing techniques and procedures to enable them to educate people especially at the market places and lorry parks in the respective assemblies, and further ensured the acquisition, supply and location of ‘veronica buckets’, hand sanitisers, nose masks and other protective gears for appropriate uses in their markets, lorry parks and other public places.

She said some assemblies have also commenced monitoring and enforcement of the directives at industries, hotels, supermarkets, nightclubs and private health facilities with support of the security agencies.

She said assemblies were also monitoring and enforcing the suspension of all public gathering such as funerals, religious services, festivals, and political rallies among other things, while the staff of the Ministry has also taken the precautionary measures serious by ensuring that visits to their premises were based on strict appointments.

The Ministry, she said, has also taken steps to decongest its offices to allow social distancing, acquired gun thermometers to check temperature of all persons who entered its premises, and again made available hand sanitizers at vantage points for disinfection.

Hajia Alima said the Ministry has visited some assemblies and markets within Accra to ascertain the level of compliance with the directives, and was monitoring the situation and still receiving progress reports.