Zulum distributes 610 taxis, tricycles, buses to 3,200 unemployed Borno youths

Babagana Zulum, the governor of Borno State, has distributed 610 taxis, tricycles, and buses to 3,200 unemployed youths in Maiduguri and parts of the Jere and Konduga Local Government Areas that fall under the metropolis to improve urban mass transportation.

On Thursday, the Governor unveiled 610 modes of transportation, including 100 Toyota LE city taxis, 500 ‘Keke NAPEP’ tricycles, and ten Ashok Leyland buses, each with a capacity of 41 passengers, at Maiduguri’s Ramat Square.

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The governor said the 10 buses will be managed by the Borno Express Transport Corporation for intracity services, according to a statement by Zulum’s spokesman, Isa Gusau, titled “Mass transit: Zulum launches 610 taxis, tricycles, buses in Maiduguri.”

According to him, the 500 tricycles were divided among 2000 operators, each tricycle belonging to a group of four unemployed people.

Aside from the 2,200 people who received tricycles and taxis, Zulum also approved N50 million for 1000 members of various Keke NAPEP operators who did not benefit from the launch.

“The 100 taxis were also distributed to 200 people, each of whom would own two, for a total of 2,200 people who would benefit from the tricycles and taxis.”

“After meeting with leaders of various associations of Keke NAPEP operators, Governor Zulum learned that some of their members form groups to own tricycles and that they have their own ways of jointly managing them and sharing profits,” the statement read.
Dr. Abubakar Tijjani, the State Commissioner for Transport, spoke at the event and assured the governor of effective and efficient supervision to ensure that routes are operational, in line with the governor’s goal of increasing access to mass transportation in the metropolis.

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On the security features built into the tricycles and taxis, he said that each of the 500 tricycles has digital stickers from which passengers can access essential data from all operators using their smartphones.

He also explained that the tricycles’ movements will be tracked using the stickers, ensuring that each operator only operates within the communities they are supposed to serve.