September 16, (THEWILL) – Commercial Tricycle Operators are gradually taking over commuter services in Kano metropolis, as they get more patronage from residents of the city, including private car owners disabled by the current prohibitive petrol pump price.
Consequently, the tricycles have outnumbered cars and other vehicles plying the city’s roads,as they get more passengers from among the distressed car owners.
THEWILL reports that before now,taxis, buses and motorcycles were the main means of transportation in the capital city, until recently when tricycles dominated the business.
Kano is home to eight metropolitan local government areas – Kano Municipal,Gwale,Dala,Tarauni,Fagge,Nasarawa,Kumbotso and Ungogo, and most of the city’s hustles and bustles take place in these areas.
An investigation by THEWILL reveals that multitudes of car owners in the capital city have parked their vehicles and resorted to patronizing the commercial tricycles popularly known as “A Daidaita Sahu”, as they can no longer afford fuel for their vehicles.
Petrol pump price in Kano ranges from N615 to N620 per litre, depending on the type and location of the filling station.
Checks in the commercial city found that the car owners who include businessmen and civil servants, now enter tricycles to reach their various places of work,markets, schools and other places of human endeavour.
Some of them have engaged the tricycle operators to be transporting their children to and from school at agreed fees, unlike before when they (the car owners) were doing the exercise themselves.
One of the car owners,Malam Danjuma Rabiu,a businessman, said he had parked his vehicle a few days after the withdrawal of subsidy on fuel and resorted to patronizing tricycles,as he can no longer purchase fuel for his Toyota car.
“It is cheaper for me to be using a tricycle for my daily transportation needs, because I cannot afford spending N5,000 on fuel every other day,when I have other pressing needs to attend to,”Rabiu said.
Another motorist,Alhaji Malanta Yusuf, says he now uses a commercial tricycle for most of his transportation needs, explaining that he could no longer use his personal car for such purposes, because of the prevailing high cost of fuel.
“I find it cheaper,by far, to enter KeKe NAPEP for my routine movements, though not as convenient as using my car e.g. for space and privacy,but I have to adjust to the compelling situation,” Yusuf added.
But it is good business for Sabitu Garba,a tricycle operator in the city,who welcomed the car owners and other passengers patronising his business, describing the development as “a sign of better things to come.”
“It is good to have them as our passengers now, because their patronage is boosting our business,” Garba said.
And for Sahlu Kabiru, another tricyclist,the business is becoming more lucrative since the hike in the price of petrol took effect,saying that although he also pays more for fuel,the higher patronage was making him break even.
“The more,the merrier.Let there be more passengers for us, afterall we remain the best transport option in the state.There is no beating the tricycle in this business,” Kabiru boasted.
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
