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From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
An early morning strike embarked upon by operators of commercial tricycles in Kano State has paralyzed traffic and sliced down market activities in the state.
The operators embarked on strike, yesterday to protest a demand notice by the state government asking them to renew their registration/operational permit for the year 2022.
The operators recalled that they were, only last year, caused to surrender a huge amount of money for the registration/operational permit in addition to the fact that they pay N100 daily to the same government.
They declared that the recurrent and insensitive taxes were too much for their small earnings and incomes.
As a result of the strike, thousands of passengers, especially traders,were stranded at different junctions in the absence of the tricycles to convey them to their workplaces.
Daily Sun reports that the strike has equally led to a measurable slice in traffic to different markets in the state, especially Sabon-Garri and Yankaba markets.
Traders dealing with perishable items like cat fish, meat, vegetable and fruit lamented the situation while some had to slash their prices to avoid unsold items at the end of the day.
Speaking at a press conference, yesterday, Managing director, Kano Road and Traffic Agency, Baffa Babba Dan ‘Agundi,regretted that the striking tricycle operators did not want to renew their 2022 operational permit.
Dan Agundi, insisted that while he has no powers to stop them from embarking on or continuing with strike, he would,however,not hesitate to arrest any of them, who choose to work with their tricycle without its complete papers.
He explained that payment of taxes are recognized by law adding that government needed revenue earned from taxes to execute projects and administer to the state, even as he pointed that the present security enjoyed in the state was costing the government a lot of money.
Agundi revealed that the government was already working on the introduction of a mass transit transport system, which when introduced, would put an end to the monopoly the operators enjoy in the state today.
