As it is happening in the rest of the world, Nigeria’s transportation system may be heading for its worst times with growing clamour for social distancing in public transportation, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE
SINCE the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus nCov-19 (otherwise known as COVID 19), pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has been clamouring for personal hygiene, intake of vitamins and water, as well as the observance of ‘social distance’ at all gatherings, including inside public transportation.
Whereas many nations of the world have been on a total lockdown since penultimate week as the virus made the world a canvass of death, Nigeria, which was just getting into the panic mood with the rocketing cases of infected persons, have rolled out severe measures to mitigate further community transmission of the virus.
Chief among the various measures the Federal Government and the 36 state governments have enunciated was the adoption of social distance by citizens at all gatherings, including inside public transportation.
Social distance is the concept where a distance of at least one metre is allowed in-between you and the next person. For instance, though the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), the nation’s oldest corporation had suspended train services on its routes, including the Abuja-Kaduna, which had been the nation’s saving grace since kidnappers and bandits made the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway impassable, it quickly reversed itself, introducing rather a stricter measure where passengers’ travel profile had to be submitted before they could be allowed to ride on the train.
Though the NRC management couldn’t clarify whether same would apply on its Mass Train Transit Service (MTTS), which only recently resumed on Ebute-Meta-Ijoko route, it was clear the corporation had reversed itself in order reduce the panic of passengers, who have come to rely on its Abuja-Kaduna service.
The corporation, however, said it will prevent over-crowding on its passenger coaches, in line with WHO’s directive.
As the Federal Government’s institution continued to grapple with managing the challenges posed by the Coronavirus, some of the states are collaborating with the transport unions which controls the levers of power in the public transportation sector to mitigate further transmission of the virus.
In Lagos State, the government has outlawed people standing in any public bus, especially the large capacity, while drivers of commercial Yellow buses are enjoined to ensure they reduce passengers per row by two, even as government urge all transport unions to ensure that that there are sanitisers and thermometers at the respective motor parks.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the weekend said no one would be allowed to stand in any of its large capacity buses. He said the government was would ensure that private operators joined it in wrestling down the virus the cases of which has moved from one on February 27, to 19.
There are four passengers per row in all commercial minibuses plying the major routes in the Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.
These were part of the decisions taken by the state Ministry of Transportation with the executives of major stakeholders in the transport business sub-sector, including the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) on Friday.
According to the state government’s official Twitter handle @followlasg, the meeting which sought to educate stakeholders in the transport sector on the need to join hands with the state government in drumming awareness against further transmission of the dreaded virus.
The highlights of the communique at the end of the meeting stated: “Passengers should be disallowed from standing in public vehicles, including the high-capacity buses; while minibuses should have not more than two passengers seated in a row.
“Transport unions should ensure that sanitisers and thermometers are available at their motor parks.
“Others include transport unions are to report any suspected case of COVID-19 to the government.”
Commissioner for Home Affairs, Prince Olanrewaju Elegushi, urged the unions to engage their members on the preventive measures to forestall further spread of the virus.
The SA to the Lagos State Governor on Transportation, Mr. Toyin Fayinka, affirmed that prevention of further spread of the virus should be paramount to all, hence the need to address sitting arrangement in public buses.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Sewedo Oluseyi Whenu, urged the stakeholders to provide sanitary facilities at their parks.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Health, Dr. Oreoluwa Finnih, who was at the meeting, implored the union executives to partner the government in arresting the disease’s spread.
The unions agreed that their members would improve their personal hygiene, which is the most important preventive mechanism for the spread of the COVID-19 disease.
For a country that relies almost exclusively on land transport, and especially a nation where private operators run its transportation system, getting operators buy-in becomes imperative if the war against the ravaging virus must be won.
Though it may not yet be clear how other states are going to tackle the dreaded scourge, it may not be too far to assume that many would take a cue from Lagos State, especially if it works.
For instance, what is emerging is that it is one thing for the government to get the nod of the transport union leaders, it may be another to get the members to voluntarily comply.
For instance, many commercial buses still carried full load passengers whether they are eight, or 12, or 18, or 24 passenger buses across bus stops in the state.
Matters were even worse on some routes, such as the Mile 2-Orile where some unscrupulous drivers were seen carrying five passengers per seat, clearly overloading their vehicles.
Daniel Thomas, a marketing executive, who lives at Surulere, said the Coronavirus invasion has compounded the crisis that Lagos has been thrown since the government restricted Okada and tricycle operation on some roads in the state.
Thomas said commuters who had been slugging it out at the various bus stops where many resort to walking, would find it difficult obeying directives of two passengers per seat as directed by the government.
Mrs Margret Cliffsimon, a teacher, said the government’s directive on transportation would be tough to enforce.
Though the directive is in compliance with the desire to stop further spread, the state, which was already going through severe transportation stress, would further compound the people’s stress, thereby making it difficult for the commercial drivers and the passengers to obey the directive.
A photograph, which went viral on Sunday, had shown passengers on an interstate shuttle from Ibadan, the Oyo State capital to Lagos, had wrapped themselves up to prevent contacts in the crowded bus.
Situation in other climes
Lagos is not the only state experiencing hard times. In the United Kingdom, for instance, many subways and underground train stations, were said to have been shut, while the government this week intends to roll out more stringent measures aimed at controlling public transportation.
Like Lagos, which ordered all its junior workers to stay off from yesterday, other countries are rolling out similar measures, including shutting down operations and ordering citizens to remain indoors to limit personal interaction.
In South Africa, which has recorded the second highest casualty rate of Coronavirus in Africa, health personnel had resorted to spraying all air travellers with sanitisers before allowing them into the country.
In Ireland, the National Bus and Rail Union have called something similar to what Lagos has done, demanding the scaling down of train and bus capacities to help contain the spread of Covid-19.
General Secretary, Dermot O’Leary, said: “Our members along with their frontline colleagues remain concerned with regard to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
“Whie the numbers travelling have started to drop off, we remain concerned that the seating and standing arrangements on our buses and trains are not in line with recommended best practice of keeping a distance of at least one meter from another person; the fact is that the current bus and train configuration are not compatible with the social distancing advice from the health experts.”
Marina Puliga, who travels by bus twice a day to get to and from work in Mahon, has said the buses are a breeding ground for infection.
Yesterday, at Marina’ workers commuting to work filled the bus, with many standing.
“People were sneezing and coughing. The World Health Organisation has said people can catch Covid-19 if they are standing within one meter of a person with the virus if they breathe in droplets coughed out or exhaled by them. On the bus, we weren’t even 5cm apart,” she said.
“In Ireland, it’s not evident that there’s an emergency,” Ms Puliga continued.
She has called for more frequent bus services during this time to help reduce the number of passengers travelling by bus at any given time.
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