Edo state branch of the Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN) has commended the move by the Cross River State government to code tricycles plying the state and has called on Edo state government to replicate.
Edo state chairman of TOAN, Mr. Michael Okhuarobo said in the light of the 2019 general elections, and to shore up the revenue base of Edo state, it would be important to use data and technology to gain an insight into the role of tricycles as drivers of the Edo economy.
“What the Cross Rivers state government has done is use modern methods of governance to nip the incidence of crime and thereby has recognized the influence of tricycles owners in governance. We therefore use this opportunity to call on the Edo state government to replicate this same system to introduce a sense of order into our sector of the transportation enterprise. Even before other state governments became involved in the Open governance, Edo had already demonstrated its willingness to be people-friendly by publishing its activities in its website and made public its procurement processes,” Okhuarobo said in a statement.
TOAN, an umbrella body under the Trade Union Congress (TUC), represents the interests of its members with branches in every state in Nigeria.
“As a law-abiding organization in Nigeria, TOAN seeks to work with Edo state government to boost its revenue drive, and to partner with relevant authorities to fight crime and contribute to the uplift of the Edo economy. Recall that during the last fuel crisis, our association was not involved in any arbitrary increase in transport fare because we put the living conditions of Edolites first. So, if the Edo state government introduces a system of giving codes to our members, crime rate would reduce. It would also assist us with participation with the coming elections in Nigeria,” Okhuarobo added.
