Delta to enforce ban on tricycles plying highways

Delta State Government is set to begin enforcement of the ban on tricycles popularly known as Keke NAPEP from plying federal highways.

This was made known on Monday at the Government House Annexe Warri during a meeting with the State Taskforce Chairman on Environment, Mr. Sylvester Oromoni and the Keke Union Executive in warri and Uvwie.

According to Oromoni, the prohibited routes includes NPA expressway Warri, Asaba Onitsha express way, DSC express way Udu, Effurrun roundabout to Oghara expressway, PTI junction to Abraka-Agbor axis, DSC roundabout to Ughelli, Patani and Ozoro, Kwale- Asaba.

Oromoni noted that the meeting is all about maintaining free flow of traffic in Warri, Effurun and its environs, saying any Keke NAPEP applying federal highways henceforth, would be arrested.

He reiterated that only Buses, Taxi and other four wheel vehicles are allowed to ply such routes, stressing that the essence is to reduce untimely deaths as result of avoidable road crashes as well as to control heavy traffic jam on the highways.

He said: “The Delta State government has banned tricycles from plying federal highways in Delta since Dr. Uduaghan tenure as governor and Governor Okowa upon assumption upheld the same.

“It is very unfortunate that Keke NAPEP drivers have refused to obey the law due to improper monitoring. We are here to reinforce the law, and any one that violates the directive will pay a fine of N20,000.

“I want to sternly warn tricycle operators that, after today’s (yesterday) meeting, they should desist from plying the highways stated above, as the Governor Okowa-led government will not tolerate it anymore”, he stated.

In his response, Chairman, Keke NAPEP Drivers Union Association of Delta State, Evang. Paul Onyema, said: “We are partnering with the environmental taskforce in order to stop Keke operators from using the above mentioned highways in Warri and its environs.

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“One of our major challenges is that many of the keke riders are based in Ughelli, Agbarho and other nearby villages. And with this, they will have to drive through the prohibited routes but we will discuss with them; if you must work around Warri, you will have to get a place to keep your keke to resume the next day.

“As the Chairman, l have also warned Keke operators from Agbarho, Ughelli to either operate where they are staying or risk being arrested by task force officials.”

Mr. Samuel Atiyota Egere, Uvwie Chairman of the union, in his response, said that he agreed that the keke is constituting nuisance by parking indiscriminately, disobeying traffic rules and road crashes.

He said that he was also aware that there was no park alloted to keke operators in the state but the state should out of their magnanimity look into that.

He said that the union will abide by the agreement with the Government not to ply Delta highways.