ED: Making a bad situation worse

With Covid-19 cases on the rise, it is imperative that we follow health guidelines in order to ensure that the spread of the virus is not worsened further. 

Unfortunately, despite government directives, public transport operators have seen it fit to continue to flout these guidelines, carrying passengers at full capacity and ignoring social distancing protocols. 

In addition, according to aforementioned directives, buses are meant to keep hand sanitizers and disinfectant sprays, and are meant to be disinfected after each trip, but public transport workers have blatantly ignored these rules as well, putting people and themselves at risk of catching the virus and making a bad situation even worse. 

It was this laxity in behaviour which resulted in the current situation, where we are seeing the highest number of Covid-19 positive cases on a daily basis, and authorities must do more than simply post instructions in order to tackle the issue. 

This is hardly an ideal situation -- it is something that both the government and the public understand, but the fact of the matter is that, if we are to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe from the coronavirus, we must make compromises in the short-term so that we do not have to pay more dearly later on. 

The BRTA has taken no visible step to ensure that these directives are followed and, considering the fact that office-goers need public transport in order to do their duties, no realistic alternative has not been offered either, leading to utter chaos on the streets. 

The government must employ a measured approach if it wishes to keep the economy running while at the same time ensure that citizens are safe from the threat of Covid-19. This requires, first and foremost, a plan based on compromise.