Tricycle Union, RTEAN Bicker Over Sale Of Tickets

Tricycles Operators under the aegis of Bayelsa Indigenous Tricycle Riders Association, ( BITRA ) has protested what they alleged were plans to stop them from selling their own daily tickets like other tricycle operator groups in the state.
The association which spoke through their public relations officer, Comrade Thomas Kroseide told journalists that contrary to claims that their association was illegal, BITRA was legitimately registered with Corporate Affairs Commission.
He stated the association was legally registered by Tricycle operators’ youths of the state, with members drawn from the eight local government areas of the state.
“We’re a registered body with the CAC; our membership was drawn from indigenous Tricycle riders from the eight council areas of the state.
“BITRA is an umbrella body with a view to empowering Bayelsa State citizens who were into commercial Tricycle riding business.
“Our quest was to defend undue monopoly by the non – indigenes and incessant extortions on the roads.
“This was because we’re desirous of creating employment; you could see that BITRA has reduced crimes and criminality in the state.
“But prior to the registration of BITRA with the Corporate Affairs Commission, we have suffered exploitation from the police, Road Safety Corps and other law enforcement agencies over frivolous offences”, he added.
The association therefore, called on the state governor, Senator Douye Diri to call to order public officers operating in a clandestine manner to frustrate them from their noble objectives, saying over the years, some quarters of the nation have stereotyped the Bayelsa youths as lazy.
“We don’t want the non – indigenes to dominate the tricycle operations and our members also contribute to the state internally generated revenue”, the group said.
Meanwhile, in a swift reaction, the state chairman of the Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Comrade, Ifie Oyinkuro Ereboh has denied claims made by the BITRA members.
Ereboh who also spoke on the proliferation of motor parks in the state said his union and other sister unions were working toward addressing the issue for the safety of all passengers, describing the trend as worrisome, thanks
The RTEAN chairman cautioned against illegal sale of tickets and collection of fees by unauthorized, non-affiliate members of his association and other registered and gazetted sister transport unions.
He said his association had never stopped BITRA from operating as a Tricycle group as they claimed, saves for urging them to do what he described as the right way of obtaining the leave to operate as a trade union.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa