Operations of tricycles (Keke), yellow buses, and mini-buses will soon be restricted from five major highways across Enugu city. The measure is to pave the way for the smooth implementation of the state’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
The Commissioner for Transport, Dr Obi Ozor, stated this on Monday during a consultative meeting with transport unions and stakeholders at the ministry’s headquarters in Enugu.
Our correspondent gathered that the affected traffic corridors are Okpara Avenue–Abakaliki Road–New Haven Junction–Naira Triangle–Emene Airport; Ogui Road–Chime Avenue–Naira Triangle; New Haven Junction–Bisala Road–Rangers Avenue–WAEC–Nkpokiti–Zik’s Avenue; Ogui Road–Presidential Road–WAEC–Nkpokiti, and the entire Agbani Road stretch.
Dr Ozor said the aforementioned routes would become dedicated BRT routes in line with Governor Peter Mbah’s vision to reposition the state. He said that tricycles were never designed for high-speed highways, noting that their presence on such routes “disrupts traffic flow and puts lives at risk”.
Quoting him, “This reform is not about taking anyone’s job. It is about reorganizing the system so that BRT buses operate on the primary roads; yellow buses serve the secondary routes, and tricycles provide last-mile connectivity. Everyone has a place in the value chain.”
Ozor announced that the state government had procured 200 CNG-powered BRT buses, alongside 4,000 electric taxes to be assembled locally at ANAMMCO in Enugu, with the first 1,000 taxis ready within three months.
He said the Peter Mbah administration had built 84 new bus shelters across the city, forming the backbone of a modern transit network designed around safety, comfort, and affordability.
According to him, Enugu’s estimated two million daily commuters required at least 8,000 buses to meet mobility demands.
He said, “The new BRT buses are equipped with padded seats, functional air-conditioning, WiFi, and strict safety features. Passengers do not stand in these buses, and every vehicle is tracked and monitored from our central command and control centre. The BRT fare now comes with a 47 percent discount to cushion transportation costs for citizens.”
The Enugu State Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Comrade Chidiebere Aniagu, said the union was not opposed to the reforms, but appealed to the government to address the concerns of their members.
His counterpart in the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Engr Augustine Agu, urged the government to consider their interest in operating the BRT buses and transport terminals. He said his members had the capacity to work in the scheme.
Comrade Kingsley Edeh, speaking for the Amalgamated Tricycle Riders Association in Enugu State, announced that there are about 18,000 Keke riders in the state, and appealed for taxes to be made available as alternatives for riders who might wish to join the new transport initiative.
The highlight of the event was the inauguration of a joint review committee, comprising ministry officials and transport union representatives, to finalize operational modalities ahead of the full rollout of the BRT buses on the designated routes.
