The Rivers State Government has provided a total of 20 units of 64 capacity buses to ease the transport situation in the state capital as part its plans to cushion the effects of the ban on commercial motorcycle activities in Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor as well as Eleme and Oyigbo Towns.
Addressing the bus drivers and conductors yesterday at the State Secretariat, the Transport Commissioner, Mr. George Tolofari explained that the measure was part of government’s commitment to the welfare of the people.
According to the commissioner, the buses would run on a total of six key transport routes, covering areas with high population density in Port Harcourt, Obio/ Akpor and Oyigbo.
Mr. Tolofari said that the designated routes include, Aba Road, beginning from Lagos Bus Stop to Oyigbo with six buses, Lagos Bus Stop to Borokiri up to Comprehensive College with two buses while the Trans Amadi route covers the area beginning from the Port Harcourt main Slaughter to Garrison and has four buses.
Other routes, according to him, are Ikwerre Road beginning from Education Bus Stop to Rumuokoro with five buses, Abuloma route which covers the area from Aggrey Road to Abuloma through Rainbow Town and Amadi-Ama areas with two buses while Olu Obasanjo route has one bus.
The transport boss told the drivers and conductors that their operational time is between 6am and 8pm daily.
Mr. Tolofari specially warned them against charging more than the normal transport fares, leaving their routes for other areas or taking charter services from churches or other groups, noting that anyone caught would have himself to blame.
He told them to obey traffic light and resist the temptation of crossing the road kerbs or getting involved in any traffic offence, since as he put it, the ministry is not in any mood to reverse itself because of a driver’s failure to obey traffic regulations in the course of his work.
Mr. Tolofari appealed to commuters and the general public to report any case of fare hike, reckless driving and misconduct on the part of the drivers and conductors to the ministry for necessary disciplinary action.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government says it has set in motion a process to provide microfinance credit facilities to assist indigenes of the state who used to be Okada operators participate in the Skye Bank Taxi Scheme.
The state Transport Commissioner, Mr. George Tolofari, who came out with this in an interview with newsmen in his office, said that the measure was part of government effort to provide succour and a sense of belonging to Okada operators of Rivers’ origin, especially those affected by the ban.
Mr. Tolofari, who said that the credit facilities must be used as intended by government, stated that the initiative was not for indolent indigenes of the state.
The commissioner also announced that the Emohua and Eleme mega terminals being built by the government to decongest vehicular traffic in Port Harcourt would be ready by the end of the first quarter of this year.