Nigeria

Coronavirus: 70% of Nigerians uncomfortable using public transport after lockdown - Poll

Tuesday, May 05, 2020 at 11:00 AM by Rahaman Abiola

- 70% of Nigerians will not be comfortable using public transport after the lockdown, a poll by Legit.ng has shown

- The result of the poll also indicated that 30% of Nigerians are likely to be comfortable in public buses in places like Lagos and FCT

- President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier eased the lockdown measures imposed on Lagos, Abuja and Ogun, beginning from Monday, May 4

With federal government hinting at lifting the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and the FCT, 70% of Nigerians said they would not be comfortable using public transport in as much as the Covid-19 still persists - a poll has shown.

President Muhammadu Buhari, in his national broadcast on Monday, April 27, eased the lockdown measures imposed on Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja beginning from Monday, May 4.

President Buhari stated that the decision is in line with the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, various federal government committees and the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).

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The president also ordered the total lockdown of Kano state for two weeks in a bid to curtail the spread of coronavirus in the state.

As Nigerians look forward to seeing the lockdown fully lifted with economic activities nationwide fully set on the move, many Nigerians have expressed their anxiety on public transportation which will see people jostle for buses in Lagos amid rising coronavirus tension.

In a poll by Legit.ng on Facebook on Tuesday, April 27, seeking the opinion of Nigerians on the anticipated move, 70% expressed their fear on boarding public transports in Lagos and other states.

They linked their concern with the possibility of being getting infected with Covid-19 in the course of taking public buses and vehicles.

One of the commenters Glory said: "Do we have a choice here in Lagos? Public transport is unavoidable so just prepare to face it with mask and sanitizer."

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Meanwhile, 30% of those who voted said they would be fine and comfortable.

People who gave the alternative view expressed confidence in surviving the coronavirus scare in the overcrowded Lagos public transports through the use of face mask and hand sanitizer.

Similarly on Twitter, 56% said they will not be comfortable with boarding public transport during coronavirus crisis.

28.5%, however, said they would be comfortable with it, while 11.4% said they would rather not move out of their houses.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that following the completion of their mandatory 14-day quarantine, a 15-man Chinese medical team brought to Nigeria to fight Covid-19 has tested negative to the pandemic.

Osagie Ehanire, the minister of health, who made this known on Tuesday, April 28, said the Chinese medical expert can now proceed on the assignment that brought them to the country, The Nation reports.