Kuje residents lament suspension of commercial motorcycle operations

Residents of Kuje Area Council in the FCT, are lamenting the suspension of commercial motorcycle operations by the council. The ban was aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19. Daily Trust gathered that the suspension was necessitated by concern that some almajirai from parts of the North where the infection rate of the virus is […]

Residents of Kuje Area Council in the FCT, are lamenting the suspension of commercial motorcycle operations by the council. The ban was aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19.

Daily Trust gathered that the suspension was necessitated by concern that some almajirai from parts of the North where the infection rate of the virus is high, are now in some satellite towns of the FCT, operating as commercial motorcyclists.

Many residents said the ban would hurt them as there was no viable alternative to motorcycles. A resident, who said he trekked from Shedadadi to Tipper Garage, before boarding a tricycle to his destination, explained that it was a harsh decision which would have negative impact on the lives of residents, adding that the tricycle was also overloaded and that there was no social distancing.

He further said, “The tricycles are carrying three people at the back and two in the front, besides the driver. A sales representative, who works at Secretariat Junction and lives in Kuchaiko, said she trekked from Kuchaiko for 35 minutes to Tipper Garage before she got a tricycle to where she worked.

Another resident said, “As against the tricycle operators working within the FCT that are only allowed to carry two passengers to adhere to the social distancing rule, the few in Kuje are carrying four passengers.”

One of the motorcycle operators who identified himself simply as Abdul, said, “we observe keenly, the movement of security operatives enforcing the ban, but some of our people were not lucky and their motorcycles were seized. However, some of us are taking risk to ply the back streets.”