Covid-19: Screening Campaign for Taxi Drivers in Rabat

In the framework of the measures taken to limit the rate of contamination in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19, a screening campaign has been organized at the Sidi Makhlouf centre in Rabat for the benefit of small taxi drivers as part of the preventive measures taken to fight against the virus.

In its September 4 edition, Assabah reports that a large number of taxi drivers have been able to benefit from this initiative led by local authorities under the supervision of the Ministry of Health.

With the new school year due to start soon, the use of public transport is likely to increase the number of infected people. On the authorities’ side, caution is required. This is why it is essential to constantly monitor the state of health of transport professionals.

Quoting Dr. Fatima Outaleb, member of the medical committee in charge of carrying out the Coronavirus screening tests, the Arabic-speaking daily stresses that nearly 300 drivers benefited from the tests during the first days of the launch of the operation.

The campaign was rather well received by taxi drivers. “The campaign is of vital importance for us, since we are constantly in direct contact with customers, even though we regularly disinfect our vehicles,” comments Mohamed Touini, a member of a local union of taxi drivers in the capital.

It should be remembered that a strict protocol has been assigned to collective services for intra-urban transport as part of the preventive measures against Covid-19. In fact, the end of the state of emergency decreed last March did not mean a recovery for passenger transport professionals. Assabah notes that most of them only received the green light from the authorities after negative screening test results were presented. Faced with the increase in the number of cases of contamination recorded in recent weeks, several similar campaigns have been organized in favor of transport professionals.

In order to reduce the impact of the peak of the epidemic, Morocco has taken drastic measures with regard to the sector. The challenge was to slow down the rate of contamination in order to succeed in flattening the contamination curve. In parallel with the screening campaigns, taxi drivers are obliged to regularly disinfect their vehicles, ensure that masks are worn, and encourage passengers to respect safety instructions, under penalty of being put on call or even having their work permit withdrawn.