Following the three day strike embarked upon by commercial tricyclists in Kano over what they described as crude exploitation of Kano Road Management Agency (KAROTA), business activities in the ancient city have been brought to a standstill.
Our correspondent, who went round Kano metropolis as early as 7.30 am Monday reports that some of the major streets in the metropolitan area were virtually deserted except for few motorists and commuters conveying the public to their various destinations, having no alternative means of transportation.
Students in their large numbers were sighted by our correspondent trekking to catch up with their academic activities, as many trekked far distances before reaching their respective destinations while those who could not afford to brave the harsh conditions chose to stay at home, hoping for the strike to be ended.
However, the situation remained the same with traders, market women and artisans who were badly affected by the strike as they were forced to trek to the markets and respective places of business, making the atmosphere unpleasant, as customers who trooped in from villages, towns found it difficult to reach the markets in the absence of the tricyclists.
In some of the major streets visited by our correspondent, youth in their large number were sighted brandishing knives, clubs and machetes, erecting barricade to scare people, a scenario that had instilled fear in the minds of peace-loving people that hoodlums could take undue advantage to cause chaos in the guise of sympathising with the aggrieved tricyclists.
The bone of contention according to Blueprint findings, is the N100 levy slammed on them by KAROTA on a daily basis with the mode of paying the levy becoming worrisome to tens of thousands of the operators of the commercial tricyclists, a procedure they described as cumbersome and hectic.
