Henceforth, no Local Government Area
or Agency has the power to control, manage or raise revenue from
anything mechanically propelled, including the Keke Napep in Akwa Ibom
State, the Commissioner for Transport, Prince Godwin Ntukude has said.
Ntukude made the assertion last week Friday while briefing newsmen in his office. He said the order came from the State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio as a result of the lingering crisis between tricycle operators and ticket sellers in Uyo, Ibesikpo and Itu Local Government Areas which was caused by multiple ticketing and at the rate of Four Hundred Naira (N400.00) daily.
The
Transport Commissioner said the Governor had in a meeting with him and
other stakeholders in the transport sector received the constitution of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Local Government amended laws
particularly as it regards revenue generation and mechanically propelled
equipments such as Keke Napep and other vehicles, made a proclamation
that everything connected to raising revenue, organising and
administrating Keke Napep in the State is now a matter under the content
of the governor and supervised by the Ministry of Transport.
The Uruan born politician disclosed that the Governor has further directed the reduction of the daily Four Hundred Naira (N400) ticket to Two Hundred Naira (N200), and has guaranteed any Keke Napep operator the freedom to ply his trade to the entire landscape of Akwa Ibom State. Similarly, the biometric capturing of Keke which was initially Five Thousand Naira (N5000.00), has now been reduced to Three Thousand Naira (N3,000) and the yearly renewal of each Keke Napep now costs Five Hundred Naira (N500).
In his words, “we want a unified ticketing that will take any Keke Rider across the State for a day at the approved rate of Two Hundred Naira (N200). The governor now takes charge of ticketing in the State and it is being managed by the Ministry of Transport because we want to have one system of operation”.
The commissioner dissolved all the communities set up earlier by the Ministry to enable the State Government set up a central working committee that will supervise Keke operation in the State.
Prince Godwin Ntukude also used the opportunity to announce the release of the Five (5) new Heavy Duty Trucks earlier promised by the Governor to the Ministry which he said will be used to tow dilapidated vehicles on the roads even as he called on the people of the State to always report to the Ministry any situation of abandoned or defective vehicles left on road sides.
No comments:
Post a Comment