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The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has spread rapidly across the globe, disrupting daily activities, ruining economies and livelihoods and in extreme cases, claiming lives. It has thrown the whole world into a crisis and for the first time in history, humanity is fighting a common enemy. This is so because everyone has a role to play in this unprecedented global war. Transport operators too, have a key role to play to prevent the spread of the infection while keeping essential services like food and medicine supply running. However, the challenge is:
‘How can urban public transport and long distance travel including trucking be designed so that they do not easily become the means of spreading infection?’
Overcrowding in Public Transport
In Nairobi, about 42% of daily commuters walk, 48% ride a matatu, 5% commute by private car, and the remaining 5% use other modes (Salon and Gulyani, 2019). The exact mode of spread of COVID-19 is a subject of debate among experts. It is believed that COVID-19 particles probably do not persist in the air in the same way flu particles do, so, people need to be in closer contact with each other to catch it. It is felt that being within two meters of an infected person for more than 15 minutes could expose someone to great risk of infection.
As some of us may be well aware, overcrowding is rampant in public transport especially the matatus. Traffic congestion is substantial, and even motorized modes do not move swiftly through urban centers at peak hours. Studies estimate that during morning peak in Nairobi, the average vehicular speed is about 8.3 km/hour and 7.6 km/hour during the evening peak. This shows that commuters in congested matatus and buses may be easily exposed to risk of infection in case one of the commuters has the virus (Salon and Gulyani, 2019).
The tough measures to control the spread of the virus introduced by the Kenyan government in the transport sector should be seen in this light. Already in Nairobi, streets that three or so weeks ago were free of traffic are heavily congested again. According to Ifeanyi Nsofor, the Nigerian epidemiologist and Director of Policy and Advocacy for Nigeria Health Watch, Africa’s crowded public transport systems could jeopardize efforts to curb local transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic. He observes that
‘Public transport systems in Africa are always crammed. For instance, a vehicle designed for 18 passengers will have close to 30 people, and there is always room for more.’
Ifeanyi Nsofor, the Nigerian epidemiologist and Director of Policy and Advocacy for Nigeria Health Watch,
Charles Hinga, the Principal Secretary of the State Department of Housing and Urban Development of the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development of Kenya, issued directives aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 through the public transport system. According to the directive, all motor vehicles and equipment should be cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized after every trip. In addition, all public service operators are to provide sanitizers for passengers before boarding vehicles.
The directives should be strictly adhered to by commuters and public transport operators across the country. Said the Principal Secretary
“We would like to ask everyone especially those who operate and use public transport to maintain respectful behavior which will greatly improve the safety for travel for all passengers following the confirmation of coronavirus cases in the country,”
Charles Hinga, the Principal Secretary of the State Department of Housing and Urban Development
The raft of measures adopted by the Ministry of Transport include:
- Public transport operators who ply long distances keep a detailed passenger manifest to ease the tracing of individuals in case of exposure.
- Commuters refrain from unnecessary trips and where possible, walk or cycle within a radius of between 0 and 5 kilometers.
- Strict hand washing by commuters while maintaining personal hygiene.
- Avoiding skin contact when traveling in public service vehicles and wearing clothes that cover arms and legs.
- The general public to closely watch their personal health status and avoid public transport if they suspect they are infected.
The Ministry of Health on its part directed that all Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operators should wear masks and not to allow any passenger to board without one. They were also required to observe social distancing between passengers by carrying only 60% of the capacity of their vehicles. This implies that 14-seater vehicles should carry eight passengers per trip. But, whether this is being adhered to or not is anybody’s guess.
Already, on some routes in Nairobi, it is common to see some matatus flouting the social distancing requirement by carrying excess passengers. When asked why they do not adhere to the directive by the Ministry of Health, they cite economic losses incurred by carrying fewer passengers. Simon Kimutai, the Chairman of Matatu Owners Association in Kenya, agrees that COVID-19 has hit the public transport industry badly due to low patronage. However, he appreciates the need to follow government directives in combating the menace. He says
‘This is a tough time as we have lost revenue but lives matter for the industry. We support the government’s efforts to contain the virus and hopefully we succeed and get back rolling again.’
Simon Kimutai, the Chairman of Matatu Owners Association in Kenya
Andrew Mwangi, a conductor with Rembo Shuttle which plies the Kitengela route in Kajiado County underlined the importance of sanitizing before boarding public transport vehicles by stating that “We cannot turn our backs against this crisis hoping that the government will win the war on its own. We must play our roles,” He noted that every passenger is expected to clean their hands before boarding. He added that “I have turned away several people who tried getting in without washing hands,” (Xinhua News, 21st March, 2020).
However, the limited access to basic sanitation services including water for washing hands and overcrowding at public transport stations in Nairobi and other major urban centres in the country could be the weak link for transmission of coronavirus if appropriate actions are not taken.
A passenger washing hands using the new device before boarding a public service vehicle at Muangatsi Market Centre Bus Stage, Busia County, Kenya.
Source: https://www.indepthnews.net/index.php/the-world/africa/3496-kenyans-are-innovative-in-finding-ways-to-fight-covid-19
Bottlenecks at the Border Points
Introduced to reduce delays and facilitate road transit and cross-border trade within the East African Community (EAC), the one-stop border points (OSBPs) are facing many challenges due the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19). When exiting one country and entering another, OSBPs combine two stops into one thus fast-tracking movement of people and improving business environment in the East African Community (EAC).
However, COVID-19 has virtually paralyzed operations of the OSBPs with EAC member states witnessing unprecedented traffic jams of heavy- duty trucks. A senior Regional Kenya Revenue Authority officer lamented the enormous financial loss incurred due to the standoff. He observed that the heavy-duty trucks were
all loaded with a wide range of multi-million-shilling cargo destined for markets in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and Eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), but they are now stuck in the endless jam.
Traffic snarl ups caused by long distance trucks extending about 60 kilometres like the ones witnessed at the Malaba One Stop Border Point (OSBP) could be a disaster in waiting. This was occasioned by some of the Member States of the Northern Corridor such as Rwanda and Uganda closing borders to reduce the spread of the virus from neighbours.
Initially, Uganda and Rwanda demanded that truck drivers be swapped at the border points. For instance, truck drivers from Kenya would hand over their trucks to the Ugandan drivers at Malaba and Uganda drivers would hand over the same trucks to the Rwandese drivers at the Uganda/Rwanda border. This kind of transport arrangement was resisted by the Kenyan drivers who feared damage, pilfering and loss of their cargo in transit. According to available literature, the fears of the truck drivers were justified. To prevent cargo diversion or theft in the past, such cargo used to be escorted by security personnel (Irandu, 2016a).
According to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the bottlenecks at borders as governments screen truck drivers to contain the coronavirus are putting the delivery of vital supplies such as food in East Africa at risk, “We could have problems feeding our beneficiaries…if the situation doesn’t improve,” Says Julie MacDonald, WFP’s Deputy Director in Uganda.
The bottlenecks do not only hamper delivery of food stuffs but also hamper seamless flow of traffic especially at the OSBPs. Unfortunately, although there are laid down procedures to be adopted by the EAC and Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) member states, it is unclear why such avenues were not followed to avoid the ugly scenes witnessed at the OSBPs.
The Kenyan truck drivers also complained of molestation of all sorts while on transit in Uganda. These complaints should be jointly investigated by the Kenyan and Ugandan security agencies to establish their veracity. This is of utmost urgency and importance bearing in mind that many of the truck drivers have traversed the same East African routes for years and have not taken recourse to blockade of borders such as witnessed at Malaba recently.
The Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development in Kenya has advised truck drivers to be tested for Corona virus at the point of departure so that at the border point, there should be no need for further testing and unnecessary delay. Obviously, testing at the border (whether Kenyan or Ugandan border) and delays in releasing results, could further aggravate the spread of COVID-19 not only to the truck drivers but also the local communities they may interact with while waiting for their test results. This, in my view, is a weak link in the fight against COVID-19 along the Northern Corridor.
Trucks waiting to enter Uganda at the Malaba One Stop Border Point
Source: The East African, May 29th, 2020.
Truck drivers are classified as high risk individuals in spreading the disease, especially in the border towns and along the highways where they regularly stop to rest and refresh themselves. In addition, truckers interact with traders, workers and patrons in pubs, restaurants, lodgings and other entertainment joints that dot these places.
The delays, according to the truckers, can take as long as five to ten days, even two weeks necessitating extra expenses as they wait for clearance at the OSBSPs, not to mention those who are found positive and put under mandatory quarantine which means replacements. Although huge quantities of the cargo are imported products through the Port of Mombasa, a lot more are imported from the Kenyan industries based especially in Nairobi and Mombasa thereby adversely affecting our economy.
All countries have introduced stringent mandatory coronavirus testing at the main border points, with the net effect of reducing clearance for trucks carrying essential goods to less than 50%. Truck drivers have been made to incur extra fuel expenses, increased mileage per trip and even truck and cargo security, which have caused an escalation in the drivers’ monthly costs. The long queues that have been witnessed in places like Malaba and Busia border points have led to Lengthy Turn Around Times (TAT) that in turn leads to huge financial pressure on truck drivers and also business people who may have loans to pay.
The Government of Kenya in its efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic has taken measures to upscale the role of the rail transport sector in the local transport and logistics scene. The move is intended to reduce instances of the spread of the virus by truck drivers or cases of the truck drivers contracting the virus. Speaking at the Naivasha Inland Container Depot (ICD), the Transport Cabinet Secretary Mr. James Macharia said that following discussions between the Government and partner states of the East African Community, it was recommended that measures to reduce instances of truck drivers interacting with members of the public should be put in place.
There is a lot of concern from members of the public on the conduct of truck drivers at the border points where they continually interact with the locals. This presents a risk whereby they could contract or pass on the virus in case anyone has it.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Mr. James Macharia
Truck drivers will now collect transit cargo for the landlocked countries of the Northern Corridor from the Naivasha Inland Container depot (ICD). This will also have the added advantage of reducing Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions and road traffic accidents (RTAs) along the busy Mombasa-Nairobi Highway.
The Way forward
In order to ensure public transport does not become a vehicle for transmitting corona virus in Kenya and along the Northern Corridor, additional measures of containment are suggested. These include:
- Information and awareness – Public transport staff need to be well informed and their awareness enhanced on the risks of infection and the measures needed to be taken to minimize them.
- Training and provision of protective gear – Drivers, conductors and loaders should receive special training on how to disinfect vehicles and surfaces properly. This training should be rolled out in all the major urban centres as soon as possible so that all PSV operators are fully aware of what the government expects them to do. In addition, they should be provided with adequate protection gear such as face masks and hand sanitizers in order to secure their health and avoid them from being infected or infecting passengers.
- Regular health check-up – Regular health check-ups can ensure that the drivers, conductors and other staff in the public transport sector are healthy and safe. This way it may be possible to detect any potential infections early before they spread.
- Closing front door and virtual payments – In many bus companies, passengers board the bus through the front door and pay for their ticket or show it to the conductor. This is a potential health hazard for both the driver and conductor. For this reason, many public transport operators now prohibit passengers from boarding using front door and no longer sell tickets on the bus. They encourage passengers to make virtual payments through electronic and contactless ticketing. This is practiced in cities such as Berlin (Germany) and Beijing (China).
- Separation of drivers/ticket sellers and passengers – Drivers and ticket sellers as well as any other staff should be separated from passengers by temporary features such as plastic tape barriers, Plexiglas or other means to avoid too close contact between the driver ticket seller and the commuters.
- Monitoring compliance by operators – There is need for the Ministry of Transport in conjunction with the Health officials to monitor regularly and ensure compliance with the containment measures put in place for the PSVs.
- Teleworking – Teleworking or working remotely from the house may reduce the need to use crammed public transport vehicles in our cities and other urban areas. The larger the number of people working at home, the fewer the number of people who would use public transport.
- Regional cooperation and speedy operations at borders – To protect communities within the EAC member states from the spread of COVID-19, regional health and cross-sectoral systems must be strengthened and cross-border collaboration must be stepped up including facilitation of health information-sharing across borders. There is also need to ensure speedy authority operations especially at border-crossing areas to avoid overcrowding of traffic while taking into consideration road safety issues for freight and passenger movements.
- Financial assistance – Need for financial assistance to service providers: loan guarantees, loans, tax cuts or payment deferrals, cash handouts as a last resort.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it should be emphasized that everyone has a role to play in the fight against COVID-19 Pandemic. Public transport operators including truckers should adhere strictly to containment measures introduced by the Government of Kenya and transit countries relying on the Port of Mombasa for their export-import trade. If this is effectively done, it may be possible to win the battle against the deadly virus. Policy makers, planners and researchers should come up with innovative ways to cushion public transport sector from collapsing due to reduced patronage.
References
Irandu, E.M. (2016a) Multimodal Freight Transport Security in Kenya in Multimodal transport Security: Frameworks and Policy Applications in Freight and Passenger Transport. Edward Elgar Publishers, 124-142.
Salon, D. and Gulyani, S. (2019). Commuting in Urban Kenya: Unpacking Travel Demand in Large and Small Kenyan Cities. Sustainability, Vol. 11, 1-22. 3823; doi: 10.3390/su1114382.
Xinhua News Agency (2020). Kenyans enhance community safety measures to curb COVID-19 spread. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-03/21/c_138902897.htm
Internet sources
COVID-19: Nairobi passengers clean hands before boarding buses. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-03-19/COVID-19-Nairobi-passengers-clean-hands-before-boarding-buses-OZoHmb0Vb2/index.html
Kenyans Are Innovative in Finding Ways to Fight COVID-19. https://www.indepthnews.net/index.php/the-world/africa/3496-kenyans-are-innovative-in-finding-ways-to-fight-covid-19.
Public transport could stifle Africa’s COVID-19 control. https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/coronavirus/news/public-transport-could-stifle-africa-s-covid-19-control.html.
The COVID-19 outbreak and implications to sustainable urban mobility – some observations. https://www.transformative-mobility.org/news/the-covid-19-outbreak-and-implications-to-public-transport-some-observations.
Prof. Evaristus M.Irandu, Professor of Travel, Tourism & Economic Geography, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Nairobi
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of the University of Nairobi.
Transportation in Kenya: The Weak Link in the Fight Against COVID-19
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