Many people from Accra, Kasoa, Tema, Ashiaman and the Ashanti Region at the weekend, joined their families in Koforidua to escape the partial lockdown of Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions and Kasoa to contain the spread of COVID-19.

At the markets and the central business area of Koforidua, traders and hawkers were displaying their wares at the shoulders of the streets and pedestrians had to struggle with vehicles for space.

The social distance which people are expected to keep to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus was not being observed by the people.

This came to light when the Ghana News Agency (GNA) went round town to observe if the health directives given by the government to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus in the country was being adhered to.

However, commercial vehicles of members of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union of the Trade Union Congress (GPRTU) had started observing the social distance in their vehicles.

Taxis now load only three passengers, one at the front seat and two at the back.

The minibuses also load a passenger in front and two passengers on each roll and still maintain the old lorry fares.

There were no vehicles and passengers at all at the Koforidua to Accra stations of the various transport unions in the Koforidua Municipality.

There were also no buses at the Koforidua to Tema, Koforidua to Kasoa, Koforidua to Ashiaman and Koforidua to Kumasi stations.

At the Koforidua to Ho, Hohoe and Aflao branch of the GPRTU branch, Mr Seth Nyakpo, First Trustee of the Union gave the assurance that, the leadership of the Union would ensure that all vehicles abide by the directives that had been given on the number of passengers that the vehicles should load to help protect the drivers and the passengers against the spread of the coronavirus and they would maintain the fare.

He said the union would provide veronica buckets with taps and water at Lorry Park so that passengers can wash their hands with soaps and apply sanitizers as well as disinfect the vehicles with sprays.

Mr Nyakpo said they have agreed to adhere to the directive as measures to stop the spread of the virus.

He explained that since the outbreak of the coronavirus, it has really affected their business as a union because people are not travelling much and that has limited their daily income.