Natural gas powered tricycle ‘Keke’ debuts in Nigeria 

Reprieve has come the way of trycyle (Keke) riders in Nigeria as a company, Zeta Auto Limited will debut next year January different brands of trycyles, which use compressed natural gas or liquified petroleum gas as against petrol.

This was disclosed by the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Allison Hibbert, who said Zeta Auto Limited was established to develop and support the need for affordable transportation in Nigeria. 

In a chat with newsmen in Abuja, Hibbert said, the brands of their trycycles, which are more durable, are produced in Pakistan, with radiator to cool the engine as against other existing brands of trycycles that are air cool.

According to him, as the price of petrol will go higher as the federal government is planning to remove fuel subsidy next year, Zeta Auto brands of tricycles are coming prepared to use compressed natural gas or liquified Petroleum gas as against the use of petrol.

He said, “We have a strong and distinct desire for quality and efficiency in our products with one year warranty on our products. 

“After our one year warranty period for our brands of keke and motor cycles you can use them for like five to seven years as far as riders use recommended oil.

“We have a scheme, known as Keke bank, which provides for the tricycle riders to own their tricycle with ease as it will empower and improve the lives of tricycle riders in Nigeria/Africa by providing them access to their own keke vehicles. 

“This is done through the issuance of micro leases on Keke and Motor cycles. The impact of the Keke bank can be very tremendous. It is estimated that there are over 15 million Keke riders in Nigeria alone. However, less than 10 percent of these Keke riders own a Keke”.

Through the Keke Bank scheme, the company, he said, believes that by providing the keke rider ownership, they can improve the riders’ standard of living once they gain ownership.

“They will no longer be under severe pressure to meet up with remitting to the bosses. This will in turn leave them with higher disposable income in the future to meet other personal needs.

“Owning their own Kekes also brings other intangible benefits to the keke rider and their families.

“The vast majority of the riders pay weekly to the Keke owners or bosses who are the real owners, while the riders never own a Keke. With Keke bank, riders can pay a similar weekly rate for a period of time and eventually own the Keke,” he further stated.

Mr. Hibbert explained that the engine of the company’s brands is perfect and that the company has fantastic repairs and distribution network, which makes spare parts available every where in the country.

While calling for distributors for the brands of tricycle which will enter the country by January next year, Mr. Hibbert said the prizes of the tricycle are competitive with the existing brands in the country.

He said the company has arrangement with some banks, where cooperative societies can go for loan facilities to purchase the company’s brand of tricycle.

Already, he said the company has opened discussions  with Tricycle Riders Association of Nigeria and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) with a view to making access to the company’s brands accessible to their members.