Taxi operators, passengers risk getting arrested for ignoring COVID-19 SOPs

Taxi operators and passengers risk being arrested by police for flouting transport guidelines put in place following the COVID-19 outbreak.

Police warned on Monday that it is going to start re-enforcing COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures for public transport as issued by the Ministry of Health.

This comes at a time when many taxi operators and passengers have abandoned the standard operating procedures, which could facilitate the rise in numbers of COVID-19 infections that had recently gone down.

The move was announced by the Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Patrick Onyango on Monday. He noted that any taxi operator found carrying more than eight passengers, lacking sanitizers or not wearing mask as guided by the Ministry shall be arrested and charged under Section 71 of the Penal Code Act.

It states that “any person who unlawfully or negligently does any act which he or she knows or has reason to believe to be likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for seven years.”

Onyango also warned that police will arrest the extra passengers found in taxis.

He noted that the passenger occupying the center position on the seat is the extra passenger and shall be arrested together with the taxi operators and the taxi shall be impounded. For Boda Bodas, the second passenger shall also be arrested.