Tina Amanda
Rivers State government has rolled out a total of twenty-eight (28) COVID-19 free luxurious buses to ply within Eleme, Oyigbo, Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor local government areas, from 6:am to 7:30am each day.
Commissioner for Transport, Sunny Ejekwu, while rolling out the luxurious buses to commence operation on the major roads of the city, said the free transport scheme by the state government is to help maintain social distancing, in order to prevent COVID-19 cross infection amongst commuter’s
Ejekwu noted that the luxurious bus of forty-eight seater-capacity will carry only twenty-two passengers, while the twenty-four seater-capacity will carry only twelve passengers, adding that any passenger without facemask or running high temperature will not be allowed to board the vehicle.
He however warned the drivers and conductors of the COVID-19 free bus service, not to collect money from passengers as anyone caught doing so will be punished by the state government, stressing that the bus is free for all.
On his part, Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, emphasized that the gesture by the state government to run a free bus service, is to help alleviate the suffering of Rivers people in this period of COVID-19 pandemic.
Some passengers who spoke to our correspondent Tina Amanda, thanked the state government for the initiative to offer free bus services to the people of the state.
Some other passengers said it came as a surprise to them, as they were expecting the COVID-19 transport scheme to operate in a subsidized rate and not to be totally free.
The passengers noted that the free transport service will really help Rivers people, as cost of transportation has doubled since COVID-19 pandemic started.
