Bayelsa: Commuters Groan as Tricycle Operators Withdraw Services

Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa

Several commuters who depend on commercial tricycles, aka, Keke Napep, to move around were monday stranded in Bayelsa State, following the withdrawal of services by the tricycle operators.

School children, civil servants, workers in private organisations, traders, security personnel and shop owners were stuck in various bus stops, especially in Yenagoa, the state capital.

Many trekked long distances to get to their destinations while a very few taxi cabs were seen attempting to lessen the huge number of commuters that had poured into the streets.

The angry commercial tricyclists said they were embarking on a one-week stay-at-home to protest against multiple taxation by the Bayelsa State government.
They said the imposition of N6,500 payment on them through the state Ministry of Transport for “security numbers” was unbearable, given the current economic recession.

Several detachments of security personnel, especially policemen from the Serious Crimes Unit patrolled the city, while the Government House area along the Mbiama-Yenagoa Road was cordoned off by armed soldiers.
The Secretary, Tricycle Operators Union, Swali Unit, in Yenagoa Local Government Area, Mr. Mike Ekiko, said the strike was to call government’s attention to the exorbitant taxes.
Ekiko said that all members of the Keke Owners and Drivers Association of Nigeria and some other unions in the state were involved in the strike.

“We went on strike to protest the multiple taxes being collected from us by the Bayelsa government agencies. It is seriously disturbing to us and is agonising to our members.
“It is pertinent to note that many of these Keke drivers are driving on hire purchase basis and they also have families to cater for; how can we be paying N6, 500 for only one ticket? It is too exorbitant.
“There are other taxes raging from N250, N1,000 and N2,500 and we have been paying them without grudges over the years, but we cannot continue any longer”, he said.

However, some of the Keke operators who were monitoring compliance by their members were said to have been picked up by the police in various parts of Yenagoa.

Welfare chairman of the Keke Riders Association, Okafor Jonah, condemned the arrest of some of their members, stressing that the union members did not understand the reason behind the new levy of N6,500.

“We obtained security numbers in 2013 with the sum of N2,500 from the Ministry of Transport. Now, the same Ministry of Transport is still the one bringing the same security number at the cost of N6,500. It is unacceptable”, he said.

Jonah lamented that government and security agents also harass them and extort an average of N1,500 over the fading off of the state’s colour on their tricycles, among other sundry charges.

He vowed that they would not return to the roads until the government reviewed the N6,500 downwards to an affordable amount.

The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Jonathan Obuebite, was not immediately reachable as his mobile phone was switched off.

Also, the Police Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa Command, Asinim Butswat, said he was in a meeting at the time he was contacted.