Commercial transport operators in Enugu State, including tricycle and minibus drivers, have raised concerns over a rumored plan by the state government to ban their operations.

They allege that the government intends to dominate the transport sector with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses and electric taxis.

However, the state government has dismissed the claim as false, labeling it as mere rumors without any factual basis.

Speaking to our correspondent, some commercial transport operators alleged that the government had already procured CNG buses to phase out tricycles and minibuses from major routes. They also claimed that the government had increased their daily tax from N350 to N1,000 as a strategy to discourage them from operating.

Kingsley Chimezie, a commercial driver, accused the state government of deliberately excluding them from the newly constructed bus terminals.

?We are not against the introduction of CNG buses, but the Governor should allow private transporters to coexist. Let there be competition; it will benefit the people. There are almost 30,000 tricycle and minibus operators in Enugu, many of whom are working under hire-purchase agreements. You can?t just throw them out of work,? lamented Celestine Nwakpa, a driver on the Abakpa route.

Reacting to the allegations, Governor Peter Mbah?s Special Assistant on Mainstream Media, Mr. Dan Nwome, dismissed the claims as ?motor park gossip? without any factual backing.

?We have made it clear that this is fake news. Yes, the CNG buses are coming, but the idea of banning tricycles (Keke) is not on the table. There are no plans to phase them out?at least not in the foreseeable future. The CNG buses are in Nigeria but have not yet arrived in Enugu. How can the state government impose a deadline of March 30 when they are not even here yet??

Nwome explained that the CNG buses would mainly operate on major routes to improve public transportation, especially at night when tricycles are restricted.

?The CNG buses will run 24-hour services to address public complaints about Keke restrictions after 9 PM. Additionally, the government plans to introduce 500 electric taxis to make transportation more affordable and convenient for everyone.?

He reassured operators that their livelihoods were not under threat.

?We can?t just stop Keke and minibuses from operating. There are nearly 30,000 operators, and pushing them into the labor market all at once would have serious consequences. Any changes to the transport system will happen gradually.

?It?s possible that, at some point, tricycles may be restricted from certain routes, but this will not happen suddenly. People will understand the need for it when the time comes. I don?t know where these rumors originated, and some even claimed students would ride for free ? something the government has never announced,? Nwome clarified. (Vanguard)

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