Commercial transport operators in the Federal Capital Territory have continued to carry passengers beyond the recommended number and flouting the social distancing rule put in place to stop the spread of Coronavirus in the country.
Some of the drivers described the guidelines mandating them to carry only three passengers as unrealistic, noting that they would run into financial loss as they were not running charity organizations.
Checks within and outside the city revealed that motorists have been violating the guidelines, thereby raising the risk of the virus spreading further in the city..
The FCT so far has 316 confirmed cases of Coronavirus and four recorded deaths.
Several of the city’s taxi drivers have continued to carry six persons instead of 3 persons as stipulated in the guideline.
Tricycle riders in the city were allowed to carry two passengers however, they have taken advantage of the ban on commercial motorcycles in satellite towns and now carrying four passengers.
Though there is a minimum compliance among the big capacity buses popular called El-Rufai, it was observed.
Some of the drivers complained about the financial loss they have incurred while the lockdown was in force and needed to recover.
According to them, the safety guideline will not work because they were incurring more expenses by the day and need to make some extra money to cover up for that.
A tricycle rider, Yahaya Abdullahi, who spoke with our correspondent, said “It is impossible for me to carry three passengers in this situation.
“How will I buy fuel if I do that? It means I need to borrow money to buy fuel. That is shortage, I'm not running a charity organization."
Security agents drafted to enforce compliance of the guidelines paid little or no attention to erring motorists our correspondent observed while moving across different parts of the city on Thursday.
Some of civil servants, who own cars were not left out in the frenzy as they picked up passengers indiscriminately at different bus stops without hindrance.
Several residents sighted at various bus stops were not also wearing face masks, thereby increasing the risk of exposing themselves and others to the deadly virus.
Despite the interception of vehicles with passengers coming into the city by the FCT Enforcement Team, hundreds of persons are still finding their ways into Abuja.