Be coronavirus ambassadors - Drivers urged

The Acting Chairman of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (G.P.R.T.U.) in the Bono Region has charged its members to strictly observe COVID-19 protocols and be ambassadors as well.

The Acting Chairman, Mr Felix Raymond Ansu Gyeabour in an interaction with the media on Thursday, January 28, 2021, charged drivers to use their public address systems to educate passengers on the need to always wear their nose masks. Drivers must put the inscription 'no nose mask no entry' on their doors to provide signal to prospective passengers who may want to disobey their orders.

Mr Ansu Gyeabour stated that drivers will be hard hit in case President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo and his government re-introduce lockdown as a means of dealing with the recent spikes of COVID-19.

The first trustee of the Bono G.P.R.T.U., Mr Justice Kwame Frimpong stated that drivers who go contrary to these measures will be punished for their actions. Sanctions such as suspension for one week or denial to drive for a month.

Mr Kwame Frimpong therefore called on the media to carry out COVID-19 education to the public on their networks for passengers to know the need to always wear their nose masks.

Ghanaweb's Regional Correspondence visited a number of taxi stations in Sunyani and realised that most of the drivers and the passengers were in nose masks. At the I. O. Ampofo Transport terminal, passengers were required to wear their nose masks even before they are allowed entry to their premises. At the O. A. and VIP bus terminals, similar measures have been put in place with the provision of veronica buckets with water and soap for passengers.

In an interaction with Mr John Klume, the station master of Nana Bosoma Market in Sunyani, the association has provided a number of veronica buckets with water and soaps for passengers to use to wash their hands.

Mr Klume made it known that the only change is the provision of tissues as a result of the cost.

Mr Kofi Amoah, a taxi driver at Chiraa Station said most passengers comply with them when the drivers ask them to wear their nose masks.

He added that few ones disobey them and that the drivers will have no choice than to allow such passengers onboard because drivers cannot refuse to take them and drive without getting passengers.

Mr Joseph Antwi, another driver at Fiapre Station advised his colleague drivers to get few of the nose masks in their cars so that they can sell them to passengers who do not have nose masks to avoid arrest by the Police tax force at any point in time.

At the Abesim station, the old station, passengers and drivers were in nose masks because one of the police taskforce officers has been stationed to ensure compliance of COVID-19 protocols.

On Wednesday, January 27, 2021, there was a Police taskforce deployed to enforce the observation of COVID-19 protocols by the public.

Drivers who were caught with passengers onboard without nose masks were asked to park for those passengers to be arrested.

The Police taskforces were stationed at the various traffic lights in Sunyani with few of them deployed to the markets to ensure the wearing of nose masks.