By Ambrose Ologide.
Some areas in Uvwie Local Government Area particularly Airport Road, Roundabout, NNPC / Ekpan Link Road Effurun and some major roads in Warri suffered commercial vehicular disruption over commercial tricycle (keke) riders protest .
Some passengers alleged that they were chased out of the keke that did not comply.
some Keke riders also alleged
their keke were destroyed for lack of compliance.
Consequently passengers were compelled to trek to their destination at the time of filing this report.
The protesters decorated their keke with fresh green leaves and as they enforced the compliance among themselves.
One of the aggrieved keke riders, Isaac
Okotie who spoke to our correspondent alleged that they were asked to pay the sum of three hundred, five hundred naira each for stickers and identification cards last year and that most of them complied but did not get the stickers and identification cards at the time of media chat.
Alleging also that” this year we are being asked to pay twelve thousand naira each annually for apron and waste disposal basket .”
Okotie who complained that the twelve thousand naira levy was on the high side, expressed fear that a passenger who carries unlawful items such as hard drugs could dump the hard drugs in the waste disposal basket without the knowledge of the keke rider and that if the drugs are found in the basket by government security agents on stop and search, it is the innocent keke rider that will be apprehended for being in possession of illegal drugs.
Another keke rider, James Agbroko also complained that the daily purchase of three hundred naira, extortion of monies by some community youths and government security agents in addition to the new annual level of twelve thousand naira will be too much a financial burden on them.
Some Keke taskforce members refused to comment on the issue and directed our correspondent to Asaba for response.
