Passes to be introduced for essential service workers, says Kramer

National

POLICE Minister Bryan Kramer says they are aware of police checkpoints being set up to monitor travelling by the public and essential workers.
He said they had developed a standard operating procedure to ensure that members of the constabulary were adhering to those procedures to ensure they respected the public and borders were secured.
Kramer said they were developing a system through which business houses and essential and Government services staff would be able to obtain a pass to travel and access necessary areas.
He said a team from the National Information and Communication Technology Agency (Nicta) had created a website which companies could access to apply for a pass and then it would be cleared by the administrator.
They would develop a pass in PDF and send it back to the organisation for printing and distribution to their drivers and the employees who were part of essential services to ensure the could access supermarkets to buy food during the state of emergency.
He said the system also allowed companies to upload a photo of a car so they could have it on record when they approached a checkpoint.
Controllers would confirm that the vehicle had been given clearance.
A large orange sticker will also be issued to vehicles to be identified and cleared as providing essential services or Government department operation during the state of emergency.
Kramer said it was first time in PNG a state of emergency was using technology so the team at Nicta were creating applications so in every checkpoint, when a vehicle approached and was confirmed to have a bright yellow sticker, the officer would have to punch in the registration of the vehicle and the app would indicate whether the vehicle would be allowed to pass.
Kramer said it would hopefully be launched today to address issues of checkpoints and travelling public and company transport.
Meanwhile, police in Central are monitoring the movement of people travelling from Port Moresby to their villages and Gulf.
Acting Central commander Chief Insp Tapp Opai said police wanted the public to cooperate with them.
He said police had set up three checkpoints along the Maggi Highway and also the Hiritano Highway since Monday when the SOE and 14 days’ lock down was declared.
He said the checkpoint along the Magi Highway was at Bautama and for Hiritano Highway at Daisiama Market.