After Restricting Circulation of Motor Bikes, Bikers Demand Taxis From City Mayor.
By Raymond Dingana
Commercial
Bikers in Bamenda say, Mayor Achobong Paul of the Bamenda city council should
provide them with taxis to facilitate their switching to the cab driving
sector. They made the request after the mayor said he was going to provide one
thousand drivers licenses to bike riders willing to switch to the taxi sector. This
came following the restriction of circulation of motor bikes in urban areas in
Mezam Division of the North West Region of Cameroon.
"If
the mayor is serious about what he is saying, he should not only pay for licenses
but buy taxis and give us. That will make it easier for us to switch and the
restriction on the circulation of bikes
in urban areas will be very much welcomed without which, there will be
problems."Timothy Ako said.
As
stated by this other biker who voted to be referred to just as Jerry, the
administration has never been people oriented reason why they take decisions
without thinking about the man in the streets.
"Are
we going to be using drivers licenses to ride okada, has he bought taxis for us
to drive, will he give us loans to buy the taxis with, if that's the case, then
we don't have any problem.I don't have money to pay for a vehicle to be using as taxi, if the mayor can help us out, it will be good and we shall appreciate. He can also facilitate the process for us to acquire loans from financial institutions so that we can buy the taxis with ," Jerry indicated.
Commercial Bikers In Bamenda.[Image used for illustration].
It
should be noted that, in a bid to ease the pain commercial bike riders may go
through because of the decision restricting movement, especially in urban
centers, the city mayor, Mr. Paul Achobong indicated that, those in the
business of bike riding who think their jobs are threatened should switch to the yellow taxi sector and that help
will be given them through free licenses paid by the council that will cost the city council about three million FCFA for one thousand of them. It is now a
matter of wait and see if the city council will extend its largess to the
purchase of about a thousand taxis to be handed over to the bike riders switching
to the cab driving sector.
Many
in Bamenda have express fears that, the recent decision limiting circulation
on both private and commercial bikes in urban centers is that which may tear the Division apart
if care is not taken.
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