Covid-19: Transport owners tasks FG on disbursement of N10bn palliative funds

Chinazor Megbolu     |   

The Executive members of the Public Transport Owners of Nigeria Association (PTONA), have tasked the Federal Government to expedite the process for disbursement of the N10 billion Covid-19 palliative funds.

The association said this during a brainstorming meeting in Lagos to review the challenges facing members’ business operations,  while noting the request was to enable them achieve their set goals.

The PTONA maintained that the call became necessary due to the long delay in disbursing the funds approved by the government to beneficiary transport owners as a result of the pandemic.

The council members also used the opportunity of the meeting to evaluate the negative impact of Covid-19.

The group frowned at the worsening economic hardship caused by discriminatory policies in implementing the social distancing safety protocol of Covid-19 on interstate passenger-buses across the nation by security agents, including incessant armed robbery attacks and kidnapping of innocent passengers for ransom from buses on the highways.

The association noted that it was only its members that were on negative income, as there was a total ban on interstate movement across the country then.

The PTONA Executives also maintained there was also the depletion of its fleet of buses and the high cost of maintaining the existing fleet due to social distancing and safety protocols of Covid-19 on the buses.

They further noted that despite the federal government kind gesture over the approval of N10 billion palliatives to road transporters, they said they were not happy that the fund hasn’t been disbursed.

The group also sought for 24 hours federal highway patrol by the Police at places especially the Obajana Junction towards curtailing the Covid-19 havoc in other notable places in Nigeria.

Recall the Federal Government suspended operations of transport owners in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic leading to huge revenue losses for members