Rivers State Ministry Of Transportation says it will continue with the clamping down of unpainted taxis in the state this year. Permanent secretary of the ministry Samuel Enigma in an interview with our reporter says the ministry will not only clamp down on unpainted taxis but also on commercial vehicles that are not road worthy. He added that the ministry will work in synergy with National Union Of Road Transport Workers, to ensure compliance from their drivers.
” the issue of clamping down of unpainted taxis has been on, but we just had to lie low.k We will continue fully this year 2019. Very soon we will start. And it is not just unpainted taxis but also road worthiness of vehicles is also taken into consideration. Any vehicle that is not fit to be on the road will be removed by the ministry. We want to sanitize the state transport system” he stated.
You would recall that the ministry of transportation had in August last year stated the clamping down of an unpainted taxis.
Speaking with a taxi driver Emmanuel Wobo who said he believes that it is because of the Christmas period and the forthcoming elections that made the ministry to lie low for now.
” everyone is still focusing on Elections including us, I believe, the drive will be serious after the elections” he stated.
Speaking with a Keke driver Ike Onyebuchi, he said that they know what is on ground concerning the painting of Keke the Rivers State Colour of blue and white, though initially they did not know that it concerned them, until lately, he therefore pleaded with the government to give them more time.
“As you can see this is New Year and there is economic hardship in the country, there is no money to embark on the repainting for now, we therefore plead with the administration to give us more time” he stated.
