‘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.