BRT passengers defy social distancing rule as they scramble for seats

Passengers at most of the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) terminals Monday scrambled for position in buses in defiance to the social distancing directive passed by the state government.



In the wake of rapidly increasing cases of Coronavirus disease in the state, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu last week directed that social gatherings be limited and the numbers of persons carried in public buses be restricted in order to prevent spread of the virus.



The directive which took effect at BRT terminals Monday was however not welcomed by passengers hurrying to their destinations.

A video surfaced on the internet showing some of the passengers practically cramping on each other as they jostled to collect tickets from officials.

The video which evoked fear among residents saw many clamouring for the deployment of security operatives to the terminals to force people to stay orderly.


Reacting to the video which was brought to his attention, Primero boss, Mr. Folu Tinubu said it was caused by impatience of passengers, adding that two of the company’s employees were assaulted.



He said: “We have reduced the number of passengers each bus can carry but the passengers are not patient and are trying to jump the line.



“We asked them to queue up but instead they all want to rush and enter the bus. They assaulted two of our staff today that were trying to stop them. We need to as a society start to follow rules.”