The Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development (FENRAD Nigeria) has condemned the Abia State Government’s decision to increase daily ticket fees for tricycle operators from ₦350 to ₦700, describing it as regressive and economically insensitive.
The move, which recently sparked a peaceful protest by members of the Association of Tricycle Operators Union (ASTOPU), amounts to “taxing the poor to survive,” the group said.
“It is unconscionable to double daily ticket fees for Keke riders—most of whom are struggling youth, unemployed graduates, and low-income earners—under the guise of revenue generation,” said Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, Executive Director of FENRAD.
FENRAD’s concerns:
- Broken promises: The government had earlier pledged to end touting and harassment, a key reason operators accepted the ₦350 fee.
- Economic strain: Many riders operate on hire-purchase, remitting ₦14,000–₦15,000 daily to vehicle owners, leaving them with little profit.
- No consultation: The increase was introduced without engaging transport unions or operators.
- Lack of transparency: Attempts to obtain clarification from the Commissioner for Transportation, Chimezie Ukaegbu, have failed.
Demands:
FENRAD urged the government to immediately reverse the fee hike and adopt a progressive taxation model that places higher burdens on wealthier individuals and corporate entities rather than petty traders and informal workers.
The group also called for stakeholder consultations involving transport unions, civil society groups, and economic experts to design a fair revenue system, as well as clear communication from the Ministry of Transport and the State Internal Revenue Service.
“Tax justice is social justice,” FENRAD said. “Any system that places the heaviest burdens on the weakest shoulders is morally and economically flawed.”
The group called on Governor Alex Otti, the Abia State House of Assembly, and other relevant authorities to intervene urgently to prevent further unrest in the transport sector.
