Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has scrapped the N750 daily ticket fee paid by tricycle operators and extended their permitted operating hours from 9pm to 10pm. Mbah announced the measures on Saturday while addressing members of the Tricycle Riders Association of Enugu State at Okpara Square, Enugu, during the conclusion…...
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has scrapped the N750 daily ticket fee paid by tricycle operators and extended their permitted operating hours from 9pm to 10pm.
Mbah announced the measures on Saturday while addressing members of the Tricycle Riders Association of Enugu State at Okpara Square, Enugu, during the conclusion of a “One Million March” event.
The governor also said tricycle operators would continue to use the state’s modern transport terminals without paying fees, describing the measures as part of efforts to improve their earnings and reduce the financial burden on their businesses.
According to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Dan Nwomeh, the announcement came as the association endorsed Mbah for a second term and President Bola Tinubu for re-election in 2027.
The association’s state chairman, Comrade Kingsley Edeh, said the endorsements were based on the administrations’ performance in security, road construction and infrastructure development.
“Which will we reel out and leave the other? Is it the security and good roads, which now enable us to ply our trade without any problems, the 267 Smart Green Schools, the completion of long-abandoned projects such as the International Conference Centre, Nigergas Limited, Sunrise Four Mills, Hotel Presidential, and many more?” Edeh said.
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He also cited federal infrastructure projects in the South-East, including the Enugu–Onitsha Road, Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway, New Artisan Bridge and Obinagu Flyover, as reasons for the association’s support for Tinubu.
“So, we will vote APC from top to bottom come 2027,” Edeh declared.
The association’s National Secretary, Comrade Sunday Enang, also commended Mbah’s administration, describing the governor as a ‘magician’ in governance.
Enang cited the construction of modern transport terminals, the establishment of Enugu Air, investment in an asphalt plant and road projects as evidence of the administration’s achievements.
He also praised the policy allowing tricycle operators to use designated transport terminals without paying toll fees, saying it supported the livelihoods of thousands of families.
Responding, Mbah described tricycle operators as important contributors to the state’s economy and said his administration was committed to improving their disposable income.
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“You are the powerhouse of our economy because you set out early in the morning, working long hours, navigating traffic, taking our workers to work, taking our students to school, moving our people from urban areas to rural communities, connecting businesses, and helping traders get to their businesses,” he said.
The governor added that his administration recognised the challenges faced by operators and had engaged their executives on ways to improve their welfare.
“And so, the issue of tickets is sealed. No more tickets for you,” he said.
On the extension of operating hours, Mbah recalled that tricycle operators had been restricted to working between 6am and 9pm when his administration assumed office in 2023.
“There was a sit-at-home, but we have ended that with your support. Today, Enugu State is safe. So, we will be shifting your operational time limit from 9pm to 10pm,” he said.
Mbah also linked the state’s road construction programme to efforts to reduce the amount operators spend on vehicle repairs and maintenance.
He assured residents that his administration would pave all remaining 1,022 urban roads in the state, listing Emene, Abakpa, Idaw River, Trans-Ekulu, Awkunanaw, Coal Camp, New Haven, Thinkers Corner and Uwani among the areas covered by ongoing or completed works.
“I can assure you that there will be no road in our city that will be unpaved. We are going to pave all the remaining 1,022 roads,” the governor said.
Mbah also warned against attempts to undermine the peace and security in the state, vowing to take action against anyone who violates the law or attempts to disrupt public safety.
“Nobody, no matter their ambition, will take that away from us. And we will not stop at anything, deploying all means necessary within the law to bring to book any violator or anybody who tries to import thugs to disrupt the peace and public safety we enjoy in this city and this state. We have zero tolerance for violence,” he said.
The governor urged residents to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the 2027 general elections and support him, Tinubu and other All Progressives Congress candidates.
Other speakers at the event included the Enugu State APC Chairman, Dr Martins Chukwunweike; the Grand Patron of the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, HRH Igwe Greg Ugwu; and the Managing Director of Enugu East Zone Transport Terminals, Dr John Egbo.