The newly appointed Managing Director of the Kano State Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA), Alhaji Baffa Babba Danagnudi has said there is every likelihood that Kano state government will abolish operation of commercial tricycles in the state.
Speaking to Kano Chronicle yesterday, Danagundi explained that the operation of commercial tricycles was under probability in the state because the riders were becoming serious security threat to the state.
Danagundi said, “The security agencies are compiling their reports with regards to the menace being caused by the tricycle riders in the state and if in the end, the security agencies bring to the notice of the Kano state Executive Council that the menace is too much to be accommodated and that the operation be stopped, certainly, we have to impose the recommendations by stopping the operation of commercial tricycles in the state the way operators of commercial motorcycles were banned.
“But if the security agencies recommend that they can be allow to continue, fine, government will allow them to continue operating in the state. So, the continuation of tricycles operation in Kano state is under probability for now.”
Danagundi said that from what the leadership of commercial tricycles riders told him during their visit to his office, the leadership was ever ready to work in harmony with present leadership of KAROTA.
“The leadership of the commercial tricycles have acknowledged the fact that the operators of tricycles are causing serious problems to other road users and their passengers as well. And they have promised that they are ready to comply with changes we intend to bring in the activities of Adaidaita Sahu in Kano to senitise the business. we want to change the behaviors of tricycles riders in Kano.
“The leadership of the commercial riders about seven of them paid a visit to my office and have shown high level of cooperation to government and concern to the flight of the general public with regards to the problems associated with operation of commercial tricycles in Kano. So, I can assure you that with this kind of encouragement from the leadership of tricycles, I have hope that we will achieve our desired objectives,” he concluded.
Chronicle observed that with caliber of person appointed as managing director of the agency, the commercial tricycles riders will not find it easy with the agency if they decide to continue operating the way they were operating.
Some of the residents who spoke to Chronicle on the issue, expressed their support for the plan to regulate the activities of commercial tricycles riders in the state, with many automobile drivers supporting complete banning of the commercial tricycles.
Alhaji Haruna Musa Yalwa, a civil servant said he would be the happiest person if government could ban the commercial tricycles in the state, noting that “these people have scratched my car on several occasions because of their unruly behaviors while on the wheels.
“They ride the tricycles anyhow and some of them are drug addicts, therefore they attack anybody that tries to call them to order whenever they misbehave on the road. So, for me, I am supporting banning of commercial tricycles in Kano,” he said.
Another contributor, Malam Ibrahim Bello explained that the move to ban commercial tricycle riders in Kano was long overdue, as according to him the purpose for introducing it, was defeated by the unruly behaviors of the riders.
He said, “From what I heard, prior to the introduction of the Adaidaita Sahu, the former Governor of Kano state, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, has drafted a blueprint on how they should operate in the state; where they should go and where they not go; who they should carry and who they should not carry and they time they should operate, but after it was introduced, this blueprint was distorted completely”
Contrary to Bello’s opinion, Muhammad Auwal said there was no wisdom for banning operation of commercial tricycles in the state, as according to him they were playing a significant role in the area of local shuttling within the metropolis.
Auwal said, “The operation of commercial tricycles was introduced as an alternative of the defunct commercial motorcycle riders. I could recall the tricycles riders were introduced when the former governor Malam Ibrahim Shekarau wanted to ban women from climbing motorcycles in the state in compliance with teachings of Shari’ah.
“So, I think it will be good if government will provide the general public with alternative means of transportation before banning of commercial tricycles. I am not saying government should not sanitise the system but for banning honestly, I am against it.”
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