Keke Ban Remains: Diri

 

The Bayelsa State Government has one again emphasized that the ba on trycles in the state still remains advising all that will handle the Prosperity Taxi should be proficient so that there won't be lapses.

Speaking on Wednesday  in Yenagoa during the launching   of the taxis to cushion the effects of transport problems in the state,  Governor  Douye Diri  maintained that the prosperity government was doing this to empower the youths of the state and to cushion the negative effects of fuel subsidy removal.

He said he was doing the launch  of the taxis to alleviate the suffering of the people adding that the plan had been ongoing for sometime.

He asked the federal to share money gotten form the subsidy removal to  the different times of the government adding that that it should also put in budget the issue of buying boats  for the riverine communities in the country

Governor Diri  stated what has just happened was a way of empowering the youths of the state stating that over one hundred Bayelsa youths will be employed through the transport scheme.

He emphasized that the bann on Trycles from 7pm still stands adding that the newly launched vehicles will solve the problems witnessed before.

Diri said" This has been ongoing for quite sometime now from the purchase of the vehicles  to the planning of how these vehicles should be used. And how our people will benefit from them.

"We would have launched these vehicles some three, four months ago but because God knew that a time like this will come, will will continue to have a very good planning of the use of these vehicles. And I'm happy that we are doing this at God's time today.

"You will remember that we completed that transport terminal which  was started  by the immediate past government,  not only have we completed it  we have also commissioner that terminal. We want to put that terminal into use. 

"We  have see how previous scheme failed us. We have seen how previous schemes have been converted to private vehicles rather than vehicles that will support the public. This scheme is totally different from all other previous schemes.

 

"Over 100 Bayelsa drivers will be engaged. For now the vehicles will be intra city  and intra state.Ae are not going interstate for now. While maximising profit, we must also set a target on the welfare of our  people because government is involved.

"We have started with the land and in no distant date from now, we will also touch our maritime domain Our people especially in local government areas that we cannot asses by land are the most affected.

 

"We are working on something and  we believe that with the current subsidy removal, those monies should actually come to the federation account and they should not be decided only in Abuja  and if all of those monies are shared within the federating units and we have our own share with what we are also planning, I'm very sure that our maritime sector will also be affected the way land transport  has been affected.

"And that is why we have told the  federal government to think about boat for the riverine communities and I'm sure that the federal government will listen to the plea. I believe that this will be a new beginning in the transportation sector.

" For the drivers, we want you to do well and if you do so by paying what the company wants you to pay, they also have the responsible  to pay to the state government So that by the time we do three years, we are buying more taxis. It is also an avenue for us to engage our youths professionally. This is  how to encourage our youth When we talk about youth empowerment, these are the ways we want to empower our youths.

Also speaking the commissioner of transport Grace Ekiotenne in her remarks   that thanked the prosperity government for coming up with the transport  scheme  to cushion the effect of sudsdidy removal affecting the people of the state especially the transportation sector.

She said the  vehicles will be managed by  Bayelsa brothers adding  that the vehicles will be given out to Bayelsans and they will be remiting monthly average  of 35 million naira from the 106 vehicles.

 She said that at  the end of six months,  they will be having 210 million naira and for a period of six years, about 2 billion and some fractions will be realized.