Aba Tricycle Operators call on Ikpeazu to remove illegal gararge operators on their routes

April 11, 2018
By Ijendu Iheaka

A group of Tricycle Operators in Aba on Wednesday protested the extortion of the operators by persons who claim to be owners of peats (illegal garages) at various points in the town.

The operators led by Mr Donatus Augustine carried placards with inscriptions such as “We do not want tricycle peats everywhere in Aba”, No more extortion of Keke Operators” reduce our daily ticket costs”.

The operators spoke to newsmen in Aba on Wednesday during their visit to the N0 58 St. Micheal's road office housing media houses in Aba.

Augustine said the operators who ply Obohia to park to Ngwa road were protesting because they were paying daily ticket of N180 but yesterday another ticket was added to make it N230.

Augustine said this was contrary to what Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu’s government had told them was the harmonized fee they have to pay daily which was N150.

He said that the economic condition of the country had made the payment hard for them adding that they also pay numerous peat owners on the road about N2000  daily which they want stopped.

“We are now approaching rainy season. In other towns, Keke have rubber covers to protect passengers from the rain. We do not have anything like that. We want it.

“We want them to give us a leader from among us. Eze Job (Eugene) is not a Tricycle Operator. He is a contractor among us and does not feel our pain. He does not know what we suffer on the road daily”, he said.

He urged the government to remove all the peat operators on the roads who collect illegal tolls from the Tricycle operators to enable them enjoy their effort and work.

Augustine said government should reduce the ticket to N180, remove Eugene and give them a leader among themselves and extend their operation time to 24 hours daily like other transporters.

His deputy, Mr Kennth Nwokejiogu, an operator and a graduate of Abia State Polytechnic said that the government should remove the N50.00 welfare fee which no operator had ever assessed.

He also called on the government to remove persons who have placed themselves in strategic places to extort tricycle operators adding that they make life difficult for the operators.

He also urged government to allow them to have a different union and promised they would abide by government rules and pay their dues.