Commercial tricycle operators also known keke riders are to undergo digital registration in Abia state as directed by the state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu.
The State Ministry of Transport mandated the Keke NAPEP operators to get their biometrics captured in Umuahia and Aba, and obtain rider’s permit.
Ijeoma Okere, permanent secretary in the ministry of transport made this known in a statement released in Umuahia.
She explained that rider’s permit would be issued after the biometric capturing exercise, and the exercise is to be coordinated by leaders of various tricycle unions in the State.
According to the statement, the venues for the planned biometric capture are offices of tricycle unions and accredited cyber cafes.
The riders were advised to obey the directive in their own interest as enforcement of the policy would start in the State.
But some Keke NAPEP riders, who spoke on the proposed biometric verification, accused leaders of the tricycle unions of allegedly colluding with the State ministry of transport to make money from them, arguing that the policy is more of revenue drive for the government.
However, some tricycle operators expressed their willingness to key into the biometric policy but appealed to the State government to make the rider’s permit affordable for them.
The State ministry of transport has always maintained that the policy was aimed at getting accurate date of Keke NAPEP operators in Abia, with a view to maintaining security and orderliness in the State.
