The Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) has urged its members to adhere strictly to the Lagos State Government new transport guidelines to forestall further spread of COVID-19.

Alhaji Mohammed Musa, Lagos State Chairman of RTEAN, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, urged members to shun any compromise capable of creating reasons for another lockdown.

According to Musa, RTEAN members have been duly informed and cautioned on the guidelines, and the association will ensure compliance in the interest of the society.

“We will like to appeal to our members to cooperate with the the Lagos state government in their interest and in the interest of the society.

“We have all discovered that Coronavirus is real and all that the government is doing is to prevent further spread of this deadly virus.

“We have told our members not to be careless at all. We are not touts, we are owners who obey law and order. We should not create any situation that will make government declare another round of lockdown.

” We believe our members will shun carelessness and negligence that can stop their source of food, because if the virus continues to spread beyond normal, government will still impose lockdown,” he said.

The chairman urged bus drivers and conductors to strictly abide by the compulsory use of face masks and social distancing in the buses and the curfew.

He said that passengers without face masks should not be picked.

According to him, any member found flouting the safety directives will be sanctioned.

The RTEAN boss called on commercial bus operators to acquire hand sanitisers to sanitise their hands regularly as well as those of passengers before entering their buses.

“Since our members and commuters handle money that has moved from hand to hand, those hands need to be sanitised regularly to avoid spread of COVID-19.

“We don’t want to lose any member but we must also do our part. Life is very important. As owners, let us be careful,” he said.

The union leader said that 14-seater commercial buses should not carry more than eight passengers while tricycle operators should carry only two passengers with face masks.

Musa said that the unit, chapel and zonal chairmen of the association had been directed to provide hand sanitisers and hand washing facility at various parks where the union was operating.

The chairman, who also said that the union had taken steps to fumigate parks, directed all its members to disinfect their buses every working day.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari, on April 27, announced a “gradual easing” of COVID-19 lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja, from May 4, after a four-week lockdown of the areas to contain the spread of COVID-19.

By Monday, residents of Lagos and Abuja would have been on lockdown to contain spread of the global pandemic for five weeks.