Kano govt pledges alternative as ‘keke’ riders’ strike hits residents

The Kano State Government has pledged to provide viable and alternative means of transportation to its residents due to a strike by tricycle riders, popularly called keke, across the state.

This was disclosed on Tuesday by the Managing Director, Kano Road Transport Agency, Baffa Babba-Dan’agundi, while allaying the concerns of residents.

Ripples Nigeria gathered that the commercial tricycle operators commenced a one-week strike which led to many commuters trekking long distances or resorting to private taxis.

In his statement, Babba-Dan’agundi said, “Arrangements have already reached an advanced stage to provide residents with alternative means of transportation.

“The tricycle operators embarked on strike following the introduction of operational permit, which the state government has reduced from N100,000 to N8,000 to enable the operators to pay with ease.

Read also: 19 die in Kano auto crash

“The government will unveil the new transport system, because we want to check monopoly in the transportation system as is the case now.”

“Even though some of them have paid, others do not want to pay government revenue and the law says they should pay.

“They don’t want to respect the law; they think the security they are getting is for nothing.

“I don’t have any authority to order the operators to resume work. However, they do not have any authority to tell me not to ask for their particulars and not to arrest them and take appropriate action against them.

“Some of them perpetrate criminal acts with the tricycles they don’t want to register.”

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