Abia State Government has denied stories making the round that a temporary ban placed on tricycle (Keke) operations in Aba and Umuahia was a prelude to anticipated permanent ban.
The government, however, appealed to residents of Aba and Umuahia that the recent night transportation problem being faced in the two cities would soon end as adequate measures were being put in place to tackle it. Besides, it disclosed that its Ministry of Transport had already engaged operators of taxis with a view to temporarily deploying vehicles into streets permanently as against the existing method of deploying when needs arose.
New Telegraph had on Tuesday reported views of Aba residents following the temporary ban placed on the operation time of tricycle operators. But denying the story, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, Commissioner for Information told journalists in Abiriba, Ohafia LGA of the state that the government was aware of the problems and working tirelessly to resolve it.
Okiyi-Kalu said: “Keke has come to stay as an integral part of our transport system as they provide services to a niche market that other vehicles might find more difficult to serve. Rather than ban them, we will help them to improve their operations and isolate criminal elements among them.
“We are convinced that those involved in using keke to commit crimes are in the minority. We cannot punish innocent operators for the crime of a few nefarious individuals.
“But we certainly need help from the unions to identify the criminal elements among them and bring them to justice. “The state government is not unmindful of the discomfort being experienced by commuters in Aba and Umuahia as a result of the temporary reduction in operation time for tricycle operators.
