Tricycle riders in Lagos have appealed to the Federal Government to reduce the cost of purchasing the tricycle to make it affordable by the common man.

Mr Fatai Idowu, an operator of a tricycle at Apapa road, made the plea in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

Idowu said that reducing the cost of tricycle would go a long way in alleviating the hardship of the common man in the country.

He, however, said that government should ensure that tricycle was not only made available to the common man at cheaper rate but also make it convenient to pay.

Idowu said that often, most of the tricycles were given to their riders on hire purchase, adding that this made it extremely difficult to effect payment on time.

He said that the tricycle programme had reduced crime level among the youths in the country, adding that it had created other sources of income for the people.

According to him, government should reduce the cost of the tricycle from N350,000 to N100,000, since the programme is targeted at poverty eradication.

The operator said that most operators who were on hire purchase arrangement of N600,000 to N750,000 with some business enterprises, found it extremely difficult to pay back the money at the stipulated time.

“Government should assist us in bringing down the cost of the tricycle so that it can be affordable to the common man,” Idowu said.

Another operator, Mr Wasiu Sulaimon, said that the hire purchase arrangement had exposed them to various forms of risks in ensuring that they meet the agreed delivery amount suggested by owners of the tricycles.

He said most of them paid between N12,000 to N15,000 weekly to be able to make up the N600,000.

“Having successfully paid for eight months under the arrangement, I still have one year more to balance the cost of the tricycle.

“I believe that under the Federal Government arrangement on the tricycle which is meant to eradicate poverty at the grassroot, the cost should not go beyond N100,000,’’ he said.