THE TRICYCLISTS ('YAN ADAIDAITA SAHU); A TRAGIC ON KANO ROADS

THE TRICYCLISTS
('YAN ADAIDAITA SAHU);
A TRAGIC ON KANO ROADS
BY
MUDASSIR ALIYU YUNUSA
NTA KADUNA NWC
mudassiray@gmail.com
" 'Yan Adaidaita Sahu Masu Titi" meaning 'Tricylists are road masters',  this has been a popular saying in Kano, particularly with the level of negligence, recklessness and breaking of traffic rules by quite number of tricyclists popularly known as 'yan Adaidaita, who are now believed to be highest road users in Kano city plying all nooks and crannies of Kano metropolis and beyond. The tricycle business was formally introduced by Shekarau's Administration with the view to bring sanity in the transportation sector by providing easy, safe and free movements of people especially women in the state to avoid congestion and prevent women from the precarious intermingling with men in taxis, buses and more dangerously on achaba riders. It has became more popular and patronized by people after Achaba was banned during Kwankwaso's regime where considerable number of Achaba riders had no option but to switched to tricyclists including underage children who doesn't know traffic rules and regulations completely.
The tricyclists have became threat  and danger to the safety of  the road and road users in Kano. What is happening on Kano roads is worrisome as these tricyclists are in most cases claiming superiority with little or no consideration of other road users. They breaks traffic rules as they wishes, they move on the wrong lane, occupying wrong direction, parking anyhow to pick and drop passengers, crossing the road recklessly,  moving arrogantly and displaying high degree of impudence, intersecting vehicles along the roads, borrowing others lane and or taking one way as well as total disruption of almost all traffic rules and regulations. Another alarming issue that need to be urgently addressed is the  underage tricycle riders, where children under 15 years are operating the machines picking passengers without any knowledge and awareness of road rules and regulations. The children are just riding and making the wrong  move, picking and dropping passengers with little or no consideration of other road user, traffic rules as well as road signs and signals. Wallahi this issue of underage tricyclists  is really disturbing. Government and concern authorities should not just take it for granted, because it is the most dangerous of all and therefore  most be banned  completely. I witnessed an incidence where a boy of less than 14 years caused an accident by wrong parking where so many matured responsible people became the victims of under age tricyclist. The most annoying is even though the boy was guilty but would never face the consequences or arraigned in any court of law because of his age which is under puberty.
 It has been observed and sampled that out every ten(10) car in Kano, eight (8) have   in one way or the other  became victims of tricyclist(s), you can bear me witness when almost all cars in Kano have an indelible  yellow mark (paint of tricycles) as a result of either intentional or unintentional colliding by tricyclists ('Yan Adaidaita).
I suggest that government should create a policy option that will sanitize the activities of tricyclists, certain regulations that may ameliorate the road disturbances and frequent occurrence of accidents caused by tricyclists should be introduced. There is need for the road traffic agencies to reserve the areas, roads and  lane in which all tricyclists should operate without interference of other vehicles. And the policy option should be very rigid so that they most abide by the rules created or else a big sanction should be attached to it for those who deliberately break the rules and regulations on our roads.
Mudassir can be reached on 08028188129 (text only)