C-River bans tricycles

By John Ighodaro
CALABAR — Following the recent ban of commercial motorcycles in Calabar, Cross River State, the state government has also banned commercial tricycles in Calabar.

The commercial tricycles, popularly known a Keke napep, have been ordered to stop operations in the city.
Explaining the development, Special Adviser to the governor on Public Transpor-tation, Mr Gabriel Okulaja, said the ban on the tricycles became necessary because “keke is not also safe enough for the people”.

According to him, every city has the right to choose the form of public transportation it wants and “we have chosen what we feel is best for the people, which are taxis and buses.”

He said government was not unaware of the development whereby some policemen and other uniformed personnel have continued to flout the ban on motorcycles, saying modalities were being worked out to check them.

He assured that soon, military personnel would be incorporated into the enforcement team so that anybody who contravenes the directive, would be decisively dealt with.

He also explained that very soon colour codes would be introduced for taxicabs to alleviate the suffering of pedestrians who are often stranded because most taxicabs operating at the moment only operate along a couple of routes, leaving out many other routes.