The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has stated that any move by the government to reintroduce COVID-19 restrictions on the number of passengers that public transport operators can carry will have a significant impact on their revenues.
According to Nana Nimako Bresiamah, National Chairman of the GPRTU, such restrictions cannot be implemented without a ban on religious and social gatherings.
According to him, the GPRTU will support all efforts to combat COVID-19 in the country, but proposals to require commercial vehicles to reduce the number of passengers they accommodate in order to ensure social distancing in the vehicles will necessitate the government bearing the cost of the lost monies.
“If they’re saying the government should limit the number of passengers, even better.”
“If they say the government should limit the number of passengers, then public gatherings like funerals, churches, and everything else must be affected.” When we were last asked to do this, it became a question of who would bear the cost of carrying half the number of regular passengers. If the government is willing to assist us in this way, we will agree; however, allowing a bus carrying ten passengers to carry only five [without compensation] will be extremely difficult.”
Also read: COVID-19: We may stop working if social activities are not banned
Nana Nimako Bresiamah’s remark comes in response to the Convention People’s Party’s call for the government to reconsider reinstating the COVID-19 restrictions previously imposed on public transport operators as a means of halting the new surge.
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