Gridlocked and Grounded: 100 Firms Hit with Stiff Penalties for Flouting Public Transport COVID-19 Rules

Gridlocked and Grounded: 100 Firms Hit with Stiff Penalties for Flouting Public Transport COVID-19 Rules

Asunción, IP Agency.– To date, the Vice Ministry of Transportation has fined 100 companies, 90% of them for failing to comply with the provisions of mandatory use of masks on public transportation and exceeding the number of passengers allowed per trip. The ministry urges business owners and users to comply with the protocols to prevent the spread of covid-19 in the population.

«The situation that exists is day to day and during peak hours, where people want to get to work and in the afternoon when they want to return home. Starting at 5:00 p.m. in the afternoon is where the problems begin and we already have more than 100 fines for companies,” the Vice Minister of Transportation, Pedro Britos, explained this Tuesday.

He said that, since the beginning of the quarantine, the fines were mostly for excess passengers. “We had to request assistance from other institutions, because we only have 14 inspectors for the metropolitan area. We also act according to the complaints,” he said in an interview with 800 AM.

Gridlocked and Grounded: 100 Firms Hit with Stiff Penalties for Flouting Public Transport COVID-19 Rules
Photo: MOPC

He said the fines can be paid later. But he warned that if there is a recurrence, a summary will be opened, and a possible cancellation of the company.

Citizens can make their complaints of non-compliance with the health protocol to the WhatsApp line (0986) 89 86 00.

He argued that by having few inspectors “that undoubtedly makes the control that aims to be effective difficult, and we often have to do it in a random manner.”

Regarding the behavior of citizens, he said that “there is a relaxation and that is noticeable, and in light of this, we must always take all precautions regarding controls. What we ask within these mechanisms is that passengers try to use the electronic ticket,” he said in communication with 1000 AM.

Photo: MOPC

He said that the availability of electronic tickets in the fleets of companies in the metropolitan area reaches 100%. “About 1,400 buses already have validators (75%).”

Among the current provisions, the vice minister recalled that there is the mandatory use of masks, the cleaning and disinfection of transport units, and the availability of alcohol gel for people inside the buses. “The driver has the obligation to reject the number of passengers that may exceed what is allowed per trip,” he stated.

Finally, he reminded the general public that the controls to ensure compliance with the provisions will continue daily through the inspectors of the Vice Ministry of Transportation and through the police and fiscal barriers in different points of the Metropolitan area.

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2024-10-08 09:50:23

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