Many commuters in the Mararaba-Nyanya-Kurudu axis of the Federal Capital Territory were stranded on Tuesday as commercial tricycle operators stayed off the roads in protest.
The operators were reportedly protesting alleged extortion by some union officials in the area.
The FCT Chairman of Keke Operatives Positive Initiative (KOPI), Mr. Suleiman Babaji, told reporters that his members woke up on Saturday to a sudden hike in the daily ticket fee at Mararaba Park.
“We woke up on Saturday to the sudden increase in ticket fees at Mararaba Park. The rise from N100 to N200 prompted an emergency meeting of unions, after which the protest was declared,” he said.
Babaji noted that a coalition of unions was involved in the protest, demanding a reversal of the ticket fee. He added that other recurring issues also contributed to the strike.
Operators are reportedly setting up a temporary park in Mararaba, where only N100 will be paid as the ticket fee. Babaji expressed optimism that the protest would end by Wednesday or Thursday.
One operator, Mr. Emeka Nwafor, described the hike as unfair, noting that other parks still charge N100. He said operators advocated retaining the old rate to reduce the burden on both operators and passengers.
With tricycles off the roads, many commuters now rely on commercial motorcycles at higher fares.
Mrs. Abigail Bolaji, a commuter, said she waited over an hour to get an affordable motorcycle ride. “On Tuesday, I waited about an hour before finding a reasonably priced motorcycle from my house to the bus terminal,” she said.
Mr. Ebube Peters, another commuter, said he had been forced to rely on motorcycles at inflated rates.
