The Imo State Government has banned tricycle operators from plying all roads within the state capital , Owerri. Consequently , commuters, including civil servants, school children, teachers and market women trekked long distances to their destinations . The stranded commuters castigated the state government for “ compounding” their predicament by banning the much popular means of movement in the town . “ They ( government ) said they were on a rescue mission, but the opposite is the case . “ How can a government which claims to have the interest of the masses at heart ask the Keke operators to stay away from the roads ? What do they want us to do? Where are the taxi cabs they said they had introduced to replace the Keke operators?” a female civil servant who did not mention her name said . A visit to Douglas, Wetheral, Royce , Tetlow and School roads showed frustrated commuters who waited for hours for commercial vehicles to get to their destinations . It was however , gathered that Toyota buses , which were said to have been procured by the state government to ease the situation and which bear the inscription “ Imo Black Cab , ” were seen plying most of the roads ; while the “ Taximo ” cab intermittently plied the Orlu , Orji , Egbu, Naze and Obinze axis . Reacting to the situation, the Commissioner for Information, Prof . Nnamdi Obiareri , said there was no going back on the ban of the commercial tricycle operators by the government . Obiareri said the state government took the decision to checkmate the activities of hoodlums who use tricycles , especially at odd hours , to perpetrate heinous crimes , as well as to restore sanity within the state capital .


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