Enugu Set To Impound Tricycles, Okada

Tricycles and motorcycles operating in Enugu State that are yet to obtain their registration numbers and riders’ permits have been given a month ultimatum after which they risk being impounded.

The state’s commissioner for transport, Mr. Matthias Ekweremadu, gave the directive at Nsukka, yesterday, during an interactive forum he held with members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, as well as those of tricycles and motorcycles’ associations in the zone.

According to him, failure to abide by the directive would attract sanctions to the culprits.

He regretted that about eighty percent of tricycles and motorcycles operating in the zone are not registered, adding that such act was a security threat and economic sabotage to the state.

In his words, “It is illegal and unacceptable. All operators of tricycles and motorcycles in the zone are given one month from today, February 5, to obtain their plate numbers and riders’ permits from the state government, after which our task force will begin to impound the culprits.

“Operators should also have correct particulars of their tricycles and motorcycles, and ensure that their side mirrors are functioning well, while plying on roads. This move is to curb incessant road mishaps on our roads caused by human factors.”

According to him, the state government had in 2019 approved riders’ permit which is an equivalent of the drivers’ licence for tricycles and motorcycles operating in the state.

In a speech, the transition committee chairman of Nsukka LGA, Mrs Chinwe Ugwu, represented by the council Vice Chairman, Mrs Oby Nweze, commended the state ministry of transport for embarking on the sensitization, and called on the operators to take the advantage of the period to do the needful.

THE WHISTLER gathered that the riders’ permit costs N6,000 only and expires after three years. Some of the operators interviewed expressed joy for the grace period but were not happy over the timing.

One of them, John Ozioko, said, “This is the beginning of the year, and we are battling with school fees and house rents. Some of us are also on a hire-purchase scheme of our motorcycles, hence it will be difficult to meet the deadline.”