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| Use of tricycles banned in Jos |
A cross section of Jos residents have decried the sudden hike in the cost of transportation following the ban, on Monday, on operation of commercial tricycles within Jos and Bukuru towns.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government outlawed the tricycles after the riders engaged in a violent protest to register their anger over alleged extortion by government officials.
NAN reports that the riders, who started the protest peacefully, later resorted to violence and attacked Federal Road Safety Corps patrol vehicles and an outpost.
Mrs. Felicia Dazong, a resident of Rock Haven area, who spoke to NAN, lamented the hike in fares by taxi drivers, and described the development as “wicked and unnecessary”.
“I just can’t understand why taxi drivers will suddenly increase transport fares.
“I normally pay N50 from Algadama Junction to Polo Round-About, today the taxi drivers are charging between N120 to N150 for the same journey.
“The taxi drivers are taking advantage of the recent suspension of commercial tricycles to extort money from commuters,” she fumed.
Mr Ayomide John, a resident of Bukuru, also decried both the suspension and the hike.
He described the suspension as wrong “in view of the harsh economic realities in the country”.
“The suspension of tricycle riders from Jos is very untimely because things are already bad and are being made worse.
“We are yet to recover from the scarcity of fuel and the blow it has given to our pockets, now it is a ban on tricycles. How can we survive?
“It is very sad that Nigerians prefer to inflict much pains on themselves. our selves. What has the ban got to do with transport fare?
“Taxi drivers are just cashing in on a bad situation to make brisk business.
“I usually pay N100 from Bukuru to Secretariat Junction. Today, I had to pay N300. This is very bad. I just pray the government lifts the ban very soon,” he lamented.
Mrs. Mary Sarki, a resident of Kabong Village, on her part, called on the state government to lift the suspension,
She said that the measure was necessary to reduce the suffering of the masses.
“The suspension just took effect from yesterday, but there is already a massive hardship on the poor.
“I had to trek a long distance before I was able to get a taxi to work; taxis can’t enter the nooks and crannies.
“Even when I eventually got a taxi, the fare was something else,” she said.
She urged government to lift the ban as soon as possible so as to alleviate the suffering of the masses. (NAN)
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