Some motorists in Benin have demanded for incentive from Edo government to enable them to enforce the social distancing order placed by Gov. Godwin Obaseki.
The motorists said they could not bear the cost of carrying fewer passengers as ordered by the government alone.
A respondent, Abu Yinusa, who plies Benin-Ekpoma-Auchi route, said he would rather not work than carry out the government’s directive as government could not just issue directive without consultation with them.
“They sat in their office and dished out instruction that we should not carry passengers as we used to because of the threat of the Coronavirus disease.
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“We agreed that there is need for us to protect ourselves and the passengers, but government needs to help us for us to help ourselves and others as well.
“If you are saying carry seven passengers instead of 15, who now bears the other cost of the empty seats?
“We are not getting any fuel free from the government nor is the price of fuel being subsidised in the face of the directive,” he said.
Another motorist who plies the same route and simply identified himself as Ebo described the directive as a “tall order” that would not work.
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