Bob
7th October 2006, 00:49
Angry commuters in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, have been left to rely on infrequent buses following a block ban on the city’s motorbike taxi fleet by city leader Nasir el-Rufai.
El-Rufai has accused the accident rates involving the motorbike taxis to be high and also claims they “are being used as getaway vehicles”. To try to appease commuters, 150 extra buses were put on duty… to service a population of 3 million. Public transport fares have almost doubled since the taxi ban was put into effect.
El-Rufai has been ordering Peugeot 307s to form a fleet of "Abuja green cabs", but the cost of hiring these is way beyond the pockets of ordinary Nigerians, who have been voicing their anger that they are being forced to walk while El-Rufai drives past in his motorcade.
El-Rufai has accused the accident rates involving the motorbike taxis to be high and also claims they “are being used as getaway vehicles”. To try to appease commuters, 150 extra buses were put on duty… to service a population of 3 million. Public transport fares have almost doubled since the taxi ban was put into effect.
El-Rufai has been ordering Peugeot 307s to form a fleet of "Abuja green cabs", but the cost of hiring these is way beyond the pockets of ordinary Nigerians, who have been voicing their anger that they are being forced to walk while El-Rufai drives past in his motorcade.