In an effort to curtail crime associated with motorcycles and tricycles in the state, Abia State Government, has announced plans to enumerate and re-register tricycles and motorcycles in the state.
This was even as the state government also announced the restriction of the operation of tricycles and motorcycles between the hours of 7pm and 6am daily in Aba and Umuahia with effect from July 1 , 2024.
The state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Uzor Nwachukwu, who is also the Chairman of the Abia Harmonised Task Force announced this on Tuesday while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the meeting he held with stakeholders in the state’s transport sector, stating that the registration is free of charge.
The commissioner said the essence of the registration and restriction was to secure lives and property of innocent citizens and residents of the state.
He recalled that a lot of security issues have been reported recently in the state involving keke riders, hence the need to take necessary security measures to arrest the challenge.
Nwachukwu said, “A lot of issues have been reported about criminal activities. By the reports that are available to security agencies, most of these robberies, most of these attacks are happening in the evening hours, late night hours and very early morning hours in the cities.
“The state government has decided to curb the operations of the criminals who use this means of transport to perpetuate criminal activities.”
According to the commissioner, a committee has been set up with the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Navy Commander MacDonald Ubah (retd. ), as the chairman comprising other government officials to ensure compliance to compulsory registration of all tricycles, motorcycles and commercial vehicles, explaining that the essence is to identify the real owners or operators of such tricycles and motorcycles for security purposes.
“The state government also believes that it has to know exactly who is operating within our environment. And so by that reason, all commercial vehicles, Okada, tricycles called Keke, mini buses, full buses, whatever anybody is using to run as commercial vehicles will now be enumerated and registered so that in the instances of criminal activities , the government would know whose vehicle is responsible”
The commissioner also said that the government has met with executives of the relevant Keke and motorcycle unions and therefore implored all Abians and residents to comply accordingly, adding that the government would equally attempt to review the restriction when it becomes necessary, stating that security agents have been alerted on the development, while the state government would implement the policy with human face.
He assured the people that there would be no victimisation of any innocent individual.
Also speaking, some executive members of various unions including Mr. Azubuike Victor, Chairman Tricycles Union, Aba Zone, Godson Chinwotito, Chairman Tricycle Union Umuahia zone and Ugbaja Chiemela , Chairman of Motorcycles Union, Aba said they endorse the decision of the government as regards the restriction time of the operators.
They applauded the government for getting them involved in the new policy and assured that their members would comply accordingly.