Alhaji Kabiru Yusuf-Nadabo, retired Assistant Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has raised concerns over recklessness of commercial tricycle operators, popularly known as Keke Napep, along major highways in Kano State.
Yusuf-Nadabo, said that he observed that recently tricycle operators have extended their operations beyond the city centre to major highways, contrary to established traffic regulations.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Kano, he recalled that the state government had in 2013 banned commercial motorcycles and introduced tricycles as an alternative means of transportation.
“Stakeholders reached a gentleman’s agreement restricting tricycle operations within designated urban routes. On no account, therefore, were tricycles expected to ply major highways like other vehicles,” he said.
He urged security agencies like, FRSC, Police Force, and Kano Road Traffic Agency to collaborate to curb growing menace.
The former FRSC official also recalled that security and safety go hand in hand, but much attention was being given to security, while safety was often neglected.
He urged the state government to urgently convene a stakeholders’ forum to reassess and enforce operational limits for tricycle operators in order to safeguard lives and property.
“Kano is unique in having eight major highways directly linking the city centre to other parts of the country with operational limits for each route.
“Tricycles operating on highways pose serious traffic and safety risks. The same situation is observed on Wudil road, where tricyclists now go beyond Wudil to Gaya.
“To address traffic challenges, there is need for meetings of traditional rulers, Police, NSCDc, transport unions, media, among others to review traffic situations and collectively take decisions”, he said.
Yusuf-Nadabo also noted that crash statistics involving tricycles on highways was alarming and therefore called for urgent intervention.
(NAN)
