Business
‘Ban On Vulcanisers ’ll Cause Road Congestion’
As Vulcanisers in Rivers State continue to withdraw their services, a public affairs analyst, Chief Osilem Emmanuel, has appealed to the state government to recind its decision banning vulcanisers from operating along the roads and streets of Port Harcourt and its environs.
Emmanuel who made the appeal while speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently noted that the decision, if not reversed, will bring about congestion on the roads.
He explained that motorists having problems with their tyres will have no option but abandon their vehicles by the roadside.
“If you say Vulcanizes should leave, you must have done an indept study of the number of cars we use in Nigeria, how strong and good are they.
Again, what is the position and State of our roads and what major negative impact do their activities pose to the public and State.
While emphasizing that the directive is not in the public interest, Emmanuel said the decision will render the vulcanizers jobless and jeopardize government effort aimed at encouraging entrepreneurial development.
“It will affect us as a people and do not forget that the economy is terribly bad and quite a good number of these people earn their living through that.
“We have to consider that while we are in one hand encouraging entrepreneurship we will not use the other hand to discourage them,” he said.
According to the analyst, the trade is another form of entrepreneurship that should be encouraged.
He further suggested that government should specify certain areas that the vulcanizers should stay rather than banning them out rightly from operating along the road side.
It could be recalled that the government directed the vulcanizers to move to motor parks and filling stations and mechanic yards to do their business.
However, some vulcanizers who spoke to The Tide said the order is not possible for all the vulcanizers to immediately move to those places.
“This is because the motor parks and filling stations do not belong to us”, they said.
They complained that the few filling stations and motor parks cannot accommodate them, considering their membership strength even as they further appealed to the government to allow them operate as before.
It would also be recalled that the vulcanizers down tools across the State since April, 5, in reaction to the activities of the Special Task Force, set up by the Rivers Sate, Governor Barr. Nyesom Wike, to implement the ‘operation leave the road’ policy.