By Onyekachi Eze
With the ban of Keke operation within Owerri metropolis, the Imo State Capital since Monday December 4, 2017 which followed strict enforcement by the new Commissioner for Transport and the ENTRACO Workers, Imolites have been subjected to untold hardship.
Governor Rochas Okorocha had before hand threatened to replace Keke with his new TAXIMO and complemented it with the black cabs.
This came to fruition when government enforcement agencies pounced on tricyclists spotted anywhere around the city which led to the clash between few Keke operators who summoned courage to fight the ENTRACO officials back.
The fight, Trumpeta gathered led to the vandalization of ENTRACO vehicle on their process to whisk away both their Keke and the operators.
The resultant effect on the ban however has affected over 80% of Imolites, especially commuters, pupils and students who have been subjected to trekking kilometers.
Regrettably, the reasons for the ban has not been spelt out clearly either by the governor himself or his aides.
The move instead of receiving applause from the public is being criticized because Taxis provided are not commensurate with the over populated pedestrians who looked up to be served by fleet of government approved taxis.
Trumpeta investigations since Monday to yesterday revealed that trekking of kilometer distances is not only for workers, business men and women, but also for pupils and students.
An excerpts from students of Government College, Okigwe road Owerri signals the undue hardship the Rescue Mission administration has propelled on the citizenry.
“It would have been better if not that the harshness of the present weather is something else. The scorching hot weather is not when a responsible government would dream for such a project” a source told Trumpeta.
Meanwhile, while Imolites keep on pleading to the governor to reconsider his stand on the proposed ban of keke operators until enough Taxis are available the new commissioner for Transport, Prince Lasbery Okaforanyanwu has charged Imolites to be calm promising that more vehicles are on the way to cushion the scarcity of Taximo before the yuletide period.
