Ebola: Beni limits motorcycle taxis to one passenger
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Mediacongo
Police in Beni, North Kivu, have enforced a one-passenger-per-motorcycle-taxi rule for three days, a measure introduced by the military governor to limit Ebola transmission. Drivers fear a drop in income, while authorities cite rising cases in the Beni-Butembo-Lubero area, Radio Okapi reports.
Police in Beni, North Kivu, have stepped up checks over the past three days to enforce a one-passenger limit on motorcycle taxis, Radio Okapi’s reporter observed on Wednesday 21 October. The military governor introduced the measure as part of efforts to combat Ebola, according to Radio Okapi.
On Nyamwisi Boulevard and at several taxi ranks, police are making passengers in excess of the limit get off. Drivers acknowledge the measure’s health benefits but fear a drop in their income. “This health measure is good, but it has a negative impact on our work,” a motorcyclist told Radio Okapi.
The authorities say the restriction is intended to reduce the risk of the virus spreading as cases continue to rise in the Beni-Butembo-Lubero area. North Kivu recorded 27 new cases and eight deaths in 24 hours, according to a toll published on 21 October by health authorities and reported in the update on new cases and deaths in North Kivu.
The measure is part of a local response already facing difficulties with access to water and soap at a taxi rank in Beni, reported on 19 October in a report on hygiene conditions at a taxi rank.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
