By DANIELA NEBA NGUM
Administrative officials in Meme Division have lessened and made some amendments on Minister of Territorial administration’s recent temporary ban on bike riding in some areas of Meme Division, Southwest Region.
The amendments were made on Monday March 11, following a crisis meeting with the Meme administration and executives of owners and riders union across Kumba at the SDO’s office.
Minister of territorial administration
After the meeting, The Sun gathered that bike riders across Kumba both commercial and private are henceforth required to have obtained prescribed documents, a tank number, matriculation batch, uniform and other documents which the law requires.
They are equally expected to make adjustments on the colour of their tanks. To either paint it yellow or wear a yellow covering on it.
Meanwhile, the riders are expected to register and obtain an identification badge from their respective unions at the sum of FCFA 1,500.
At the end of the exercise, the unions will hand an inventory of all its members to help the administration curb the current security threats in the division.
Riders reaction
Since the inception of this exercise, bike riders have been responding positively, thousands of them have been spotted on a daily basis making adjustments in line with agreements arrived at with the Meme administration.
A chunk of riders have been visiting the appropriate offices to get required documents that will ease their work and guarantee their security.
Speaking to some of the riders, they appreciated Meme SDO for his fatherly consideration which has gone a long way to rescue the families of over 20,000 riders in the division. They wonder what would have been the outcome if the Minister’s decision was implemented by the local administration.
Most riders are now spotted in town putting on the prescribed yellow jacket and a badge that carries a unique number which corresponds to their identity.
It is also worth noting that while most riders hail the compensatory measure taken by Meme administration and have began responding positively towards it, a fraction are of the opinion that they see no reason why riders should identify themselves and the right to belong to an association should not be mandatory.
They noted that there is no mechanism that the administration will put in place to ensure that all riders are duly registered as required.
Meme administration informs Atanga Nji
This reporter gathered that immediately after the meeting, the Meme administration reportedly addressed a letter to the Minister of Territorial Administration through the Governor of the Southwest Region, informing him of the measures taken at the local level to ensure security at the same time allowing riders to operate within the appropriate standards.
The letter seems to explain the reasons for the amendments which according to the administration was based on the livelihood of the riders as well as ease the movements of persons especially students.