Since the restriction in the operation of tricycle riders in Jos metropolis of Plateau State, passengers have continued to lament the difficulties they face in moving from one point to the other, especially at night.
Tricycle operation was restricted in Jos, due to incessant crises.
The time allowed the tricycle operators to ply the roads/streets of Jos, the state capital, is from 6am – 9pm, but once it is 7:30pm -8:00pm, many of them will begin to return home so that the nine o’clock deadline does not meet them on the road.
This has made more passengers to resort to boarding buses and taxis.
Benue/Plateau Trust however observed that many passengers are lamenting the restriction for various reasons.
Some who do business far from their area of residence and use tricycle as their means of transportation said it makes them to terminate their businesses for the day early to return home, while others said they find it difficult whenever they board buses or taxis, as the buses/taxis only ply major roads and will drop them at areas, from where they will have to trek to their houses.
Some others said the development is affecting economic activities and night life in the state.
Our correspondent spoke to some persons on the issue. Pwakim Jacob Choji, who lives in Shaka-Gold area of Jos, said the state security council should review the period of operation for tricycle operators in Jos metropolis because the current limitation poses a security threat to law abiding citizens, who don’t have option of late night movements due to business or other engagements.
Choji said in the process of passengers trekking home after alighting from buses or taxis, they sometimes come across some form of danger.
“We appreciate the many efforts of government in ensuring safety and security for everyone in the state, but we are calling on the state security council to review the period of operation for tricycle riders in Jos metropolis. This is because, the current limitation of operation time poses a security threat to law abiding citizens as well. We call on government to allow the tricycle riders to operate just like normal public transport service providers. Government should also know that crimes can be committed by anyone, using any means of transport,” he said.
Similarly, Haruna Yusuf Abba, who is resident in Angwar Rogo area of Jos, said the restriction in tricycle operation by 9:00pm needs to be reviewed because it has reduced movement in the city and has prevented so many lawful businesses from operating late. He said since the government said the much needed peace has been restored, the time for the tricycle operators should be extended to 24 hours so that the city can become busy with lawful business activities and other engagements.
Abba added that the only thing the government needs to do is to ensure that the security agencies checkmate their activities within the city.
A student of the University of Jos, Simi Pam, said the time allowed for tricycle operators to operate in the city should be extended because she observed that they have been quite obedient and more law abiding lately.
Simi who said her family house is in Dadinkowa area of Jos, maintained that the time restriction is not conducive, especially for market men and women, private firm workers, students residing outside the hostel (off campus), among others, because once it is 6:00pm, people going far start hurrying off so that they do not miss the tricycle.
She said on several occasions many people have been stranded.
The Chairman of Tricycle Riders Union of Nigeria, Old Airport Junction branch, Jos, Samuel Davou, said the restriction of their operation time to 9:00 pm was good because it has reduced so many unhealthy incidences as most crimes are often perpetuated in the night.
He said his members can afford to keep operating within the 9:00pm deadline because the money they did not make during the day, they can’t make at night.
He however said since the security situation has improved, government should extend their deadline to at least 10:30 pm because passengers have been complaining that once they leave the roads, buses and taxis begin to charge higher rates, citing that where they (tricycle operators) charge between N30-N50, buses/taxis charge N100 and above.
Reacting, the Plateau State Commissioner for Information, Dan Manjang, said the decision taken by the government to restrict tricycle operation in the state was not to inflict hardship on anyone but due to the security challenges at that time.
He said for the time to be reviewed, government will get the advice of the security council and all things being equal, the restriction will be completely lifted. He added that it is the joy of the government to see that the transportation system is effective, free of any inconveniences and the people are happy.
Manjang added that the restriction was to correct a situation and that the situation has been corrected to a large extent.
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