By Mustapha Sesay
Commercial transport vehicles have returned to their pre-Ebola sitting arrangement, despite the threat of the spread of the viral disease in the country.
The Nation Ebola Response Center confirmed that it had approved a request from commercial drivers which it granted. But the situation sparked confusion between commuters and motorists because of the apparent stealthy manner the police implemented the decision.
Prior to the outbreak of the Ebola disease in May last year, small taxis were officially licenced to carry a total of four passengers – one in the front seat and three in the back. Other commercial vehicles a little larger had one or two more passengers. All of these were required to cut down on the passenger capacity with the introduction of emergency regulations at the height of the epidemic, with a view to limiting body contact, through which experts say the virus is most likely to be transmitted.
The sudden relaxation of this crucial measure this week followed the Presidential announcement last week extending the state of emergency and lifting a number of other measures, among them the restrictive trading hours and the time Okadas (commercial motor bikes) were allowed to remain in the streets. Night clubs and restaurants were also cleared to operate freely.
But no specific mention was made about the number of passengers commercial vehicles were allowed to carry. So it was a surprise at the beginning of the week when some taxis in Lumley in the west end of the city took three passengers in their backseats. One motorist told a protesting passenger that the police had asked them to revert to their licenced capacity.
And as a further demonstration of the level of confusion, up to Wednesday many motorists had not known about the development.
Officers at the traffic division of the Lumley police station told Politico they`d allowed drivers to revert to their licenced capacity on the command from their head office.
When back in July 2014 President Koroma first declared the State of Health Emergency and announced the accompanying restrictive measures, the number of passengers commercial transport vehicles should carry was specifically mentioned.
Prior to last week`s extension, the emergency regulation had been extended twice and in all cases the number of passengers carried by commercial transport vehicles remained the same.
Jarrah Kawusu Konte, communications director at the office of the president, could not explain exactly the situation based on the president`s speech. He said the police were in a better position to clarify as they were responsible for enforcing the measures.
Konte however said the intension of the president in his latest pronouncement was to ease the economic burden on the people. He cited the lifting of restrictions on night clubs and other business centers, saying they were all taken so that life could return to “normal.”
Police spokesperson Assistant Superintendence Ibrahim Samura confirmed that the police had indeed allowed drivers to revert to the pre-Ebola sitting capacity and said the directive came from the NERC.
“NERC has approved the request by commercial drivers to carry their normal insured capacities. Strictly no overloading…,” a forwarded text message said to have been sent by a senior police officer to the media head of the force, reads in part.
The message also stressed that operators of entertainment and sporting centers were under obligation to follow laid down infection prevention measures put in place by health authorities or risk closure of their businesses.
These were the same directives contained in the President`s speech last week when he announced the easing of restrictions.
NERC`s spokesman, Sidi Yaya Tunis, while confirming that the approval came from the Center, said the president had authorized them to interpret some aspects of his statement and that the number of passengers taxis carry was one of them.
“It becomes overcrowding when you put four or five at the back,” he said, dismissing suggestion that this in any way poses any health risk despite the threat of transmission of the virus.
(C) Politico 13/08/15
