Covid-19: Edo motorists demand for incentive to enforce social distancing order

Some motorists in Benin have demanded for incentives from the Edo state government to enable them enforce the social distancing order placed by Governor Godwin Obaseki.

In separate interviews with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Benin, the motorists said they cannot alone bear the cost of carrying fewer passengers as ordered by the state government as occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.

A respondent, Abu Yinusa, who plies the Benin-Ekpoma-Auchi route, said he would rather not work than carry out the government’s directive as government cannot just issue directives without consultation with them.

“They sat in their offices and dished out instruction that we should not carry passengers as we used to because of the threat of the coronavirus disease.
“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.

READ ALSO: NSCDC inaugurates Covid 19 isolation in Enugu

“Government has never deemed it fit to assist us in whatever way before now; here they are telling us what to do because of the crisis at hand. Perhaps, it is time for them to suspend the revenue they collect from us.

“They can also order the police who daily collect money from us from no fewer than 10 road blocks on the Auchi route to stop for the time being,” he said.