LASTMA Is Our Biggest Challenge

Despite the increasing demand for tricycles popularly known as ‘Keke Napep’, the Ikeja chairman of tricycle operators, Olainukan Adeagbo explains to Henry Ojelu the challenges of riding tricycles in Lagos

How true is it that the membership of your association has increased?

That is true. Of course you should expect that with the ban on okada; most of the okada riders will now join us. Every week, at least two or more members join us. If not that the cost of purchasing keke is high, more okada riders who are out of jobs now would have joined us. For now, we are just 50 in number here in Ikeja bus stop.

How easy is it to move from being an Okada rider to a ‘Keke’ Rider?

Keke is easier and safer to rider than . The only problem we have with our members who were once okada riders before joining us is that most of them are rough. Most of them still think they are riding okada. They still try to manuever their way when there is traffic gridlock and many of them don’t obey traffic laws. As an association, we talk to them from time to time and we hope that they will change.

What are the major challenges of riding ‘Keke’ in Lagos?

Policemen disturb us for money from time to time but our biggest problem is LASTMA officials. Any time we want to drop passengers at any bus-stop,  LASTMA officials usually arrest our members. When they arrest our members, they take them to their office and make them pay between N2,000 to N5,000 before they will release the tricycles. Because of the way Keke is built, some passenger just alight at will. LASTMA officials also capitalize on this to arrest us. I can assure you that if LASTMA officials stop harrassing us, this business will be smoother. We have complained about this problem to the state goverrnment many times but nothing has been done about it.

Why is it that tricycle riders don’t go to all parts of Ikeja?

Really everybody wants us to be plying every part of Ikeja like Okada riders  but that is not possible. First, we don’t have enough tricycles to cover all routes this area. Tricycles are very expensive and so not everyone  can afford it. Secondly, we are not permitted to ply every route. We have designated routes that we must stick to. Any time you come here, you will see that there are more passengers than tricycles, so that should tell you we don’t have enough tricycles to convey the availble passengers. Again, it is also because of LASTMA and Police that we don’t go to certain places.

 Are you restricted from going to Alausa?

No, we are not restricted from going to Alausa. It is just because of security purpose. Something happened sometime ago and we were told  that Boko Haram was planning to  bomb some areas in Lagos.

How profitable is tricycle business?

There is money in tricycle business. If you deliver to somebody, you will make about N2,000 to N3,000 daily but if you work for yourself, you will make at least N5,000 daily. I have a family and this is what I use to feed them. The only problem is getting money to buy tricycles which is between N380,000 to N400,000.We will really appreciate if government can subsidise it for us so that more of us can purchase it.

Is that all  you want government to do for you?

We want government to create bus stops for us.  For example, there is no bus stop along Toyin street so if we stop to drop a passenger, LASTMA will arrest us. If we have  bustops, this won’t happen. We also want the government to help us to purchase keke for our members.