Linus Aleke, Abuja
The National President of Amalgamated Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners, Repairers and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACTMORRAN) Alhaji Babangida Shehu Maihula has appealed to government for soft loans through Bank of Industry to boost their businesses, arguing that the association is the leading employer of labour in the country.
Maihula who spoke to our correspondent exclusively during 2017 ACTMORRAN Day Celebration also promised to collaborate with relevant authorities to train its members to minimize carnages associated with its operation in the nation’s road.
He explained that the association is playing a very vital role in the transportation system in Nigeria, hence the need for government to come up with workable policies that will improve their sub-sector.
On his part, the National Treasurer of the association, Mr. Adebayo Akpelogu frowns at government policies that often aimed at banning its operation in major cities across the federation, saying that such policy breeds unemployment in the land.
He noted that instead of the outright banning of the operation of Motorcycles and Tricycles operators in major cities of the country, there should be strong regulations to avoid the massive job loss that is associated with banning.
He also seized the opportunity to debunk assertion in certain quarters that carnages associated with Motorcycles and Tricycles operation in the country is very high.
Mr. Adebayo argued that their sector accounts for the lowest number of deaths resulting from accident in the transportation sector, stressing that an accident involving aircraft could kill hundreds of people on the spot, same thing is applicable to train, luxurious buses among others but the one involving Motorcycles and Tricycles cannot be more than 3 or 8 persons at most.
He appreciated government’s pronouncement not to ban their operation but to come up with policies that is aimed at regulating and improving the activities of his association.
Earlier in a remark at the occasion, the Minister of Transportation Mr. Rotimi Amechi ensured the association that government would hence forth not ban the operation of ACTMORRAN in the country but would introduce policies that is aimed at regulating and improving their business.
He minister also express government wiliness to cooperate and assist them in the area of provision of loft loans to enable them expand the scope of their businesses, saying that government would approve the loan to them through Bank of Industry.
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