Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Enugu State Government has debunked alleged plans to ban tricycles abd mini buses in parts of Enugu metropolis.
The state Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Obi Ozor, denied the claims, adding that, the state government would not ban tricycles, known as Keke, and mini buses from operating in the state.
Speaking to newsmen in Enugu, the commissioner, however, said that tricycles and mini buses will now ply or operate on the outskirts of the city.
“We are not phasing out tricycles and mini buses in the state; the city buses will be running terminal to terminal or what is called first mile.
“The second mile will run from the sub terminal to different hinterland within that axis.
“This is where you have small or yellow (mini buses) operating.
“Then, what tricycles are meant to do is what is called last mile, because when residents enter tricycle, they board it because it stopped them anywhere they like.
“But running tricycle in the middle of the city makes transportation impossible because they don’t obey traffic rules and block the speed of other vehicles,” Ozor said.
He said that the state now ran an organised transportation system applicable in advanced countries, where tricycle and mini buses were not allowed to operate in the city.
The Commissioner said that only Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses and taxis would be allowed to operate in the city, as city buses.
He commended Gov. Peter Mbah’s investment in critical infrastructure in areas of bus terminal, construction of rural and urban roads, commencement of Enugu Air, rail and resuscitation of automotive industry.
“With these, it means that transportation in Enugu cannot be same anymore, but needed to meet world standards.”
He said that BRT buses were safe, reduce prices and have life sharing like Uber or Bolt, a sharing model where three people can request and be in same vehicle.
“We all have travelled abroad and stayed; why can’t we copy the nice things we see everywhere in the world to our state.
“The bus shelters we are building are same bus stops you see in London.They have 60 metre lay-bys for safety and efficiency,” Ozor said.
He said that cities in the world use city buses with digital signs, telling them that the bus would arrive in 9 minutes, with others running at different time and places of the city.
“These technologies are fed into the central of our command and control that the President came to inaugurate on Jan. 4.
“All these are part of security architecture of the state, as a lot of kidnappings within the urban area actually happen, with the perpetrators using keke and mini buses.
“Government must take a strategic move, in order to safeguard lives and property and also prosper the people,” Ozor said.
He said that the state would soon build a vehicle manufacturing plant, adding that taxis, CNG and electric taxis would be produced in Enugu, to create jobs.
There have been rumours and claims by residents that the government was planning to ban tricycles and mini buses, which will throw many residents out of jobs.
