COVID-19 RULES BREACH IN KOMBIS

PIGG’S PEAK – Despite fears that the country could experience a third wave of COVID-19, transport operators are seemingly not serious about enforcing the precautionary measures recommended for prevention. 

Government, through the Ministry of Health, recommended that to prevent the spread of COVID-19, public transport operators should ensure that passengers always wear their face masks prior to boarding public transport. They also recommended that vehicles should not exceed 80 per cent carrying capacity and had to ensure that passengers were sanitised upon boarding. However, a visit to the Pigg’s Peak Bus Rank by the Times of Eswatini yesterday uncovered that most kombi operators were not serious about enforcing the regulations. 

They instead, blamed passengers whom they said did not bother carrying face masks with them. 

Investigation

During the investigation, it was discovered that the kombi drivers did not bother to ask the passengers why they were not wearing masks. In one of the vehicles, there were at least four people who were not wearing masks while the driver had his mask over his chin. 

In another vehicle, four people had sat at the back yet only three are allowed. Of the four, one was not wearing his mask. 

Some of the drivers who were interviewed expressed concern that commuters were reluctant to follow the regulations. “It’s not just face masks, they don’t want to use sanitisers,” said a kombi driver. 

He said one other reason was that public transport operators were competing for passengers. He said some passengers would rather wait for another vehicle than to board a while wearing a face mask. 

The non-compliance by public transport operators, in particular when it comes to the wearing of face masks by passengers, carries a fine of E800 while the passenger can be fined E100.

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