The Ministry of Transport on Friday donated a quantity of sanitary items to some road transport operating companies, with a call from Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the Sector Minister, to the operators not to abuse the privilege granted them to carry more than 25 passengers on a vehicle.

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana, Government has announced a number of measures including not more than 25 persons at a place at a time, a directive which the transport companies are being allowed not to do with for now.

The Minister reminded the transport operators as well as transport owners to always keep their vehicles clean.

Mr Asiamah said the coronavirus puts everybody at risk and that was why the Ministry as a partner is providing the items so that all would sanitize before getting on vehicles.

He urged the transport operators to keep a manifest of passengers on a vehicle for recording their details as their names, addresses, travelling route, plan and destinations to make the tracking of vehicles easier.

The items donated, all amounting to GH¢100,000.00 were made up of 200 Veronica buckets, 200 plastic bowls, 800 pieces of hand sanitizers, 400 bottles of Dettol, 400 bottles of liquid soap, 400 rolls of tissue paper and 300 pen drives.

The Ministry donated also an undisclosed amount of money.

The beneficiary transport operators were the Ghana Private Road Transport Union, the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC), Metro Mass Transport, InterCity STC, VIP, Ghana Committed, Uber and Bolt.

Mr Ernest “Adakabre” Frimpong Manso, General Manager of VIP Jeoun Transport Company Limited, acting as spokesperson for the transport operators, thanked the Ministry for the kind gesture.

He announced that the transport operators have put in a number of interventions in the wake of the corona virus scare, they are still maintaining their old fares.

Mr Frimpong Manso urged all to cooperate to win the fight against the disease.