Kano to reform public tricycle operations as strike bites harder

From Desmond Mgboh, Kano

The Kano State Government has vowed to introduce radical reforms in the operation of tricycle public transportation in the state.

The Managing Director, Kano State Road Traffic Agency, Baffa Dan Agundi, disclosed this Monday in the wake of the industrial action embarked upon by tricycle operators in the state.

Speaking at a meeting with the leadership of tricyclists at his Bompai office, he said that he was sure that after the strike,it would not be business as usual.

Dan Agundii, who was not satisfied with the last-minute effort of the leadership of the association to disassociate themselves from the strike, said he would wait to implement whatever measure the state government would decide upon.

He stressed that contrary to the opinions of some legal persons, KAROTA was empowered by laws to to collect taxes and generate revenue in the state going by the 2015 amendment of their Enabling Act..

Earlier, a delegation of the leadership of the association led by Mansur Taminu had denied that they ordered the industrial action embarked on their aggrieved members.

He explained that they only encouraged some members to stay at home after it was clear the tricycles would be destroyed by the enforcers of the strike.

He declared support for the payment of N100 daily tax, saying that when compared to similar taxes in many other states, the amount was reasonable

He restated that the choice to pay this tax daily, weekly, monthly or yearly was at the discretion of the individual tricyclist adding that it was not true they objected to the bulk payment of the tax.

He appealed to the state government to temper justice with mercy, imploring them not visit the sin of a few on all of them