Motorists must adhere to C19 Protocols
By Alu Aluvula
NCDC Reserve Police in a joint operation with the Road Safety Authority officers have been conducting road blocks around the city this week, ensuring motorists adhere to COVID 19 protocols currently in place.
Since classes resumed for school students in NCD on Monday 19th April, 2021, there have been concerns raised by parents of school children traveling by public transport.
NCDC reserve police and ground operations commander, Aihi Oa who is also a former RTA officer, said that the complaints from parents were that PMV busses are always full beyond capacity since school resumed.
"Many parents take their children to school using public transport and there is no social distancing on these PMVs," said Mr Oa.
He said that the general public as well as the parents and their children all converge on the busses with no control as to how many are supposed to be allowed on.
"Making money seems to be the order of the day, rather than considering ones health, and PMV drivers and crews need to take ownership of these protocols or face the possibility of having their vehicles impounded," he added.
"Overloading of busses is a breach of COVID 19 protocols because it defies the social distancing order. Also many busses are not properly equipped with PPEs (hand sanitizers, offering if facemasks etc) and this is a major breach of all COVID 19 protocols," said Oa.
He said that was the reason why roadblocks were being set up this week, to ensure that PMVs or any vehicle for that matter that were found to be in breach of the protocols would be warned or if need be, their vehicles would be impounded.
"We have managed to impound a number of vehicles this week, where drivers who were found to be in breach of these protocols have had their drivers licenses removed and their vehicles impounded, " said Oa.
The operations continue until further notice from authorities as to what the next course of action is.
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