President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced that public transports,namely buses, taxis, Trotros and domestic airplanes are to revert to taking the full capacity of passengers.
This comes after lorry fares were increased to cushion commercial transport operators for reducing the number of passengers they carried.
In his fourteenth address to the nation on measures taken against COVID-19, the President announced: “In consultation with the Ministries of Transport and Aviation, and the leadership of transport operators, Government has taken the decision to lift the restrictions in the transport sector, and allow for full capacity in our domestic airplanes, taxis, trotros and buses”,he stated.
He however cautioned that passengers and drivers adhere to the health protocols as these remain mandatory.
“The wearing of masks in vehicles and aircrafts, and the maintenance of enhanced hygiene protocols, remain mandatory”, he added.
A few weeks ago, some drivers lamented that the reduction of the number of passengers in adherence to the social distancing protocol had affected their sales. This moved some drivers to threaten to increase transport fares.
The Ministry of Transport subsequently met with various stakeholders to agree on a 15% increment on transport fares to cushion drivers who have been affected by COVID-19.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah
