By Ikemefuna Asika, Awka
The Anambra State Road Traffic Maintenance Agency, ARTMA, says it is devising stringent measures to put Tricycle (Keke) operators in check for free flow of traffic during and after the festive period.
The General Manger of the Agency, Mr Chidi Umezinwa, stated this in an interview with our Correspondent in Awka.
Mr Umezinwa regretted that the high number of the operators and absence of an umbrella body for them have continued to pose serious hindrance to efforts by the government to ensure a traffic free roads.
According to him, ARTMA in the past had been impounding and issuing fines to the tricycle operators which they pay with ease and return to continue blocking the roads without recourse to other road users.
The ARTMA General Manager said henceforth, impounded tricycles and buses will be parked for seven days without any option of fine.
while commending governor Chukwuma Soludo for providing the agency with needed utilities including tow trucks, Umezinwa said efforts were on to provide commuters with parking spaces in strategic locations across the State to help decongest the roads.
He said mobile monitors and supervisors had been deployed to ensure that personnel of the Anambra State Road Traffic Maintenance Agency (ARTMA) did not involve themselves in sharp practices that will undermine the innovations being introduced by the Managing Director, Mr Emeka Okonkwo.
He therefore warned personnel to avoid conniving with transporters to load and discharge passengers at unauthorized places as anyone caught would be sacked.
