Drivers face passenger drought

A New Dawn’s investigation has established that commercial drivers plying the Monrovia-Kakata route face serious passenger shortage daily as a result of the Ebola outbreak in the country.

In an exclusive interview with a driver plying the Weala-Kakata highway, Tengbeh Edward, he said since the outbreak of the disease in Liberia, traffic has been very tedious for commercial drivers as commuters are not travelling as frequently as before.

Tengbeh said on a daily basis, they hustle and tussle over those few passengers journeying from one destination to another because people are not travelling in mass due to Ebola fear. He said sometimes, passengers refuse to pay the required fares and drivers are constrained to settle for a compromised fare just to get a day’s report money.

The driver, who said he has no problem with the government’s recent mandate that taxi cabs should carry three passengers in the back and one in the front seat, added that the fare from Weala to Kakata, previously L$125, has been increased to L$150 per passenger due to the restriction.

Tengbeh said prior to the restriction, four passengers sat in the back seat and two were allowed in the front seat, but this has changed, compelling drives to devise strategies to make up for those vacant spaces in the car.