TDC urges Govt to prioritise vaccination of drivers
Rising cases among drivers transporting essential items worrisome
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, May 11 2021:
Concerns have been raised over transportation logistics after detection of Covid-19 positive cases among drivers, who are bringing in essential items to the state.
Amid this, Transporter and Drivers' Council (TDC) president H Ranjit has written to the chief minister and the chief secretary requesting to arrange a vaccination campaign for drivers who are risking their lives to bring in essential items from other states, at the earliest.
According to a report, inconveniences are slowly cropping up as many of the drivers have tested positive for Covid-19 .
As there is high risk of the infection spreading among the drivers, some have ceased vehicle operation out of fear.
Talking to The People's Chronicle in this regard, TDC president H Ranjit informed that the Council has written to the state government to recognise all the drivers who are bringing in essential items as frontline workers and to begin vaccinating them at the earliest.
The president continued that if all drivers were to halt bringing in rice, dal, petroleum products and items, the most affected would be the common people who are already in a difficult situation.
Thus, the government needs to take up necessary steps for the treatment and isolation of the affected drivers.
Stressing the need to launch a special vaccination drive for the drivers in addition to encouraging them, Ranjit also appealed to the drivers to strictly adhere to the SOPs issued by the government so as to prevent themselves from contracting the virus.
Meanwhile, All Manipur IOCL RO Dealers' Association has requested the state government to recognise all oil tanker and LPG drivers along with retail outlet (petrol pump) staffers as frontline workers and start vaccinating them at the earliest.
According to the Association, oil tanker and LPG drivers, crew and RO staff have been working tirelessly to provide the essential commodity to the people without fail.
Thus, it appealed to the government to recognise them as frontline workers and start the vaccination process at the earliest.
In this regard, senior depot manager of Malom depot has issued precautionary instructions to tanker crews of transporters, while iterating the above demands to the state government.