The Federal Government has concluded plans to introduce solar-powered tricycles and motorcycles into the Nigerian transportation system.
Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, stated this at the swearing-in ceremony of newly elected executives of Amalgamated Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners, Repairs and Riders Association of Nigeria, ACOMORAN, in Abuja.
According to the Minister, the initiative would solve the fuel challenges faced by motorcycles and tricycles riders in the course of their business activities.
Represented by Dr. Anthonia Ekpa, Director of Road Transport and Mass Transit Administration in the Ministry, Amaechi said: “What we have done is to ensure that we introduce into the Nigeria environment, solar-powered tricycles. We are going to introduce into the sector tricycles that will not need to use fuel.
“I want to use this opportunity to also say that we have put it in the 2018 budget to be implemented in 2019 because in the 2018 budget. We have what we call green transportation, which under it we have the solar-powered tricycles.
“We also have in the 2018 budget what we call amphibious vehicles, which is going to be in form of a tricycles which can be used on water and on land for those of you in the riverine areas, we hope to purchase that in 2019.”
Urging the new ACOMORAN president to ensure that his members obey all traffic laws, he maintained that road transport remains the most critical and accessible form of mobility to all Nigerians.
In his remarks, Alhaji Samsudeen Apelogun, the newly sworn-in National President of ACOMORAN, promised to run an all inclusive government as he mounts the heads the association.
“As we mount the leadership of this great association and also in line with world best practices, we will rebrand the association and run an all inclusive government by giving every member a sense of belonging and makee their welfare the priority of the association as part of our four-point agenda,” he assured.
Also speaking, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, the chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, advised members of the association to collaborate with the new executive members, while imploring the new executive to work for the betterment of members of the association.
