Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto and Agaju Madugba, Katsina
Hundreds of passengers, mostly students going to different parts of the country were yesterday stranded at motor parks in Sokoto metropolis.
Influx of passengers was as a result of the closure of schools and institutions sequel to the Federal Government’s directives aimed at curtailing the spread of Coronavirus.
High concentration of stranded passengers were seen at the popular mass transits garage (Tashar Alu) where state owned Sokoto State Transport Authority (SSTA) along with other states transport services were located.
Three students, Rafael Olusola, Maryam Bashir, Hammeed Aliyu and Hafsat Garba, during an interview stated that they were at the garage early in the morning, but there were no vehicles to board.
They said they wanted to travel to their various towns sequel to the closure of schools and have no option because they were asked to leave the hostels.
According to them, many passengers had left for other garages within the town searching for alternatives.
The situation were the same at Kwannawa and Sokoto Central Motor Park (Hajia Halima) although many vehicles were boarding, some passengers were still waiting.
Special Adviser to Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal on Sokoto State Transport Agency, (SSTA), Alhaji Abdullahi Danjeka, said over 10 buses had left the garage in different routes.
Danjeka said SSTA has conveyed passengers to Kaduna, Abuja, Kano, Katsina, Niger and Zamfara besides those going to Gombe, Bauchi and Adamawa states.
He added that the state government had pegged the fare to ease the movement of people in Sokoto and those going to other states.
The governor’s aide explained that the fares remain stable.
According to him, SSTA alternates services with other states owned transport services, noting that when SSTA load today, the next day others would load.
Meanwhile, Katsina government has ordered immediate installation of facilities in markets and supermarkets for screening of individuals, customers and traders as part of measures to check the spread of the pandemic COVID-19 in the area.
He urged security agencies and healthcare implementors to ensure compliance with the directive.
The governor in a radio and television broadcast yesterday, said that government had also begun the building of an emergency infectious diseases ward at the General Amadi Rimi Specialist Hospital in addition to the temporary isolation centre at the General Hospital, Katsina.