By Kefiloe Kajane
The ministry of transport and traffic announced some of the services they will be providing during lockdown and how public transport will operate during this time.
The ministry said they will provide permits to vehicles that travel outside the country and those that enter the country to transport essential goods like food and medicine.
The permits that the ministry will be providing will be F permits/short term permits to the specified transport operators. Also the ministry will only renew discs, drivers’ license, F permits/short-term that have expired only for the mentioned transporters.
According to an agreement between the ministry and both NACOSEC and public transport associations, only vehicles with the permits will be allowed to ferry passengers during the 14-day nationwide lockdown that started on Thursday and ends on January 27.
“We have agreed with NACOSEC that due to the lockdown, drivers whose licenses will expire during lockdown should be given a grace period, meaning they should not be charged or fined when found with their expired licenses. This is because that service will not be provided during the period of the lockdown.
“All vehicles travelling between districts will use their normal permits, but passengers will be required to produce permits that allow them to travel.
“We will have officials that will be working during working hours, except on weekends, to provide the said services,” the ministry said in a statement.
Officials of the ministry will also have permits that will allow them movement from and to work.
