Primero Transport
Services Ltd., operators of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Lagos State, says it is
impossible to break-even with the new transport guidelines mandating
high-capacity buses to carry only 20 commuters to forestall spread of COVID-19.
The Managing
Director of the firm, Mr Fola Tinubu, made this known in an interview with the
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday.
Tinubu, however,
said that no sacrifice was too big to make in the interest of the Nigerian
society in the face of the global pandemic.
“It is not possible
for us to break-even with 20 passengers. We are just running social services;
it is not possible at all.
“We know it will be
a tough time for the firm but it’s for everybody’s safety,” the BRT boss said.
He said that each
BRT bus had 70 passengers capacity comprising 42 sitting and 28 standing.
According to him, at
this time, life comes first before any profit.
NAN reports that
Tinubu had said that the company would not issue short-distance tickets from
Monday, saying short-distance commuters that wished to use the services must be
ready to pay for the longest distance tickets on their routes.
The BRT boss
explained that the firm had scrapped N100 and N150 tickets for short distances
in the meantime, asking commuters to be ready to pay for the N200, N250 or 300
tickets, depending on their routes.
According to him,
all passengers must wear masks and sanitise their hands before they will be allowed
to board the buses.
NAN also reports
that the state government in its new public transport directives, limited
passengers in the 70-passenger capacity buses to 20, while the 21st person
onboard would be the driver.
The new transport
guidelines also directed 14-seater commercial bus operators to load only 8
passengers to ensure social distancing in public transportation to prevent
spread of the deadly virus.
All bus operators
and commuters were also directed to use face masks and sanitise or wash their
hands with soap and water before and after each trip.
(NAN)
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com