Kombi drivers protest use of Covid registers

Kombi drivers protest use of Covid-19 registers

When government advised on the need for Covid-19 registers, it was for easy contact tracing purposes and curbing further spread of the virus. But just how efficient is keeping the daily register in kombis and taxis? This is because commuters using public transport board different kombis and taxis on a daily basis to their various destinations.

And they always leave behind their contacts as ordered. Nonetheless, chances are next to zero that the passenger would be able to remember or even identify all the kombis or taxis they boarded should they test positive for Covid- 19. This means that the register kept by kombi drivers is not serving any purpose unless the driver tests positive. That way, they are able to refer to the registration documents and warn others.

Public transport drivers are baffled that since Botswana registered the first two positive cases a year ago, they have never heard of a contact tracing case that involved kombis.

Meanwhile, the Covid-19 registers are piling up at their homes and some have already been misplaced. Now some public transport drivers believe the registers might not be serving any purpose and that keeping them was not well-thought out by health authorities. Some are even contemplating stopping the futile exercise. Keotshepile Mosenki of Mogoditshane Route 11 told The Midweek Sun that they want government to reconsider or do away with the keeping of registers in kombis.

“This thing only comes at a cost, sanitisers, new books and pens are adding to our expenses,” he said. It does not help that fuel prices went up at the beginning of this month, something that will put a dent on their take home. Mosenki said they will however continue keeping registers as per Covid-19 protocols and avoid getting on the wrong side of the law. “I think health authorities are now overwhelmed because at first they were very strict with contact tracing but maybe it has proven to be a lot of work for them. “It seems they are now waiting to deal with patients instead of contact tracing,” added another driver Botshelo Molema.

Ofana Moshabi of Mmopane-Gamecity Route said they deal with about 150 to 200 passengers on a daily basis.

He said if health authorities insist on the keeping of the register, passengers should be told to find ways of clearly identifying the vehicle boarded. “I think it might be a lot of work for health officials once a positive case is detected in one of the kombis and they had to do contact tracing as the virus would have spread widely. “A description like ‘kombi e tshweu’ is not helpful and it is what most people would remember,” he said.

Moshabi added that they also face difficult passengers who stubbornly eat in kombis despite being advised not to do so.

Others such as pregnant women insist on not wearing masks stating that they are suffocating. Moshabi said this leaves drivers caught between obeying the law and leaving such passengers stranded by the roadside.

When responding to the matter, Health Services Advisor Dr Mareko Ramotsababa said that kombi drivers should not be thinking of disposing the daily registers because they carry important information that comes handy when there is an explosion of Covid-19 cases. “I understand their concerns but what should be noted is that public transport is a complicated area. For it to all work, it depends on the goodwill of passengers who should take the responsibility of having details of every vehicle they board. Telling us about a white kombi is not helpful,” he said.

Ramotsababa added that they have been getting concerns from the public about the relevance of keeping daily registers.

“Our team went back to look at it and we believe they are still important. But we are open to suggestions from them if they feel what is being done is not working.

“But in the meantime we need them to educate passengers on the need of being able to clearly identify kombis they boarded,” he said.