The Rivers State Ministry of Transport says it has extended the deadline for the painting of state colour on all taxis and other commercial vehicles plying in the State by another three weeks as the Ministry recently directed all the transport vehicles used for commercial purposes in the State to paint the vehicles with Rivers colour being blue and white and were given one month ultimatum which has since elapse.
Commissioner of Transport, Ibinabo West told our reporter that an additional three weeks grace period has been granted to the operators to enable those who could not meet up the deadline to do so and they now have up till first week of next month to comply with the directive.
Mr. West added that after the expiration of the deadline, a tax force would be sent out to impound defaulting taxis and a fine of ten thousand naira will be imposed on them.
“As soon as the three weeks elapse, i think we will send our ministerial team, task force to be on the road, to begin to enforce compliance. When we impound your vehicles, we bring them to the ministry” he stated.
The State Commissioner therefore advised concerned drivers to comply with the directive instead of wasting unnecessary money because any impounded vehicle would not be release until the payment of fine of ten thousand, but also painting their vehicle to Rivers colour.
Speaking with Chairman Education Bus stop route, Mr Ini Hanson, said that people are complying, but the problem is that painted cars are not allowed to enter the premises of the State Secretariat, estates, Banks, companies, Government house, some churches and schools.
Kelvin Uranti ‘chairman a taxi rand’ said that his members are complying as many of the taxis from his rand are in workshops for that purpose, while others have not yet comply was because of the economic situation but said that majority of these drivers are part time who are students or civil servants.
A taxi driver MrEtimUbong said that their members are trying to comply but the problem lies on such part-time drivers who might be civil servants but use their vehicles to run early morning and evening kabu kabu to make end meets and that such people would never agree to comply with painting their private vehicles with the Rivers colour, and that is why it seems there is low turn out to the directives of the Ministry of transport ultimatum.
He further stated that many of their members have not complied as a result of economic situation in the country as according to him, it cost between N40,000 to N50,000 to paint a car and before that is done, a panel beater must have worked on the said car which cost will never be anything less than N20,000 and all these added together, it become difficult for them to afford.
They all called on the State government to allow taxis to enter the Government house, secretariat, companies, and some big churches as such restrictions hinders revenues to his members.
