Enugu Government Limits Tricycles and Yellow Buses to Boost BRT System

The government of Enugu State has announced plans to restrict the operation of tricycles (commonly called “keke”), yellow buses, and minibuses from five major highways across the state to pave the way for the rollout of its new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.

The decision was disclosed by the state’s Commissioner for Transport, Obi Ozor, during a meeting with transport unions and other stakeholders.

The corridors affected include major routes such as Okpara Avenue–Abakaliki Road–New Haven Junction–Naira Triangle–Emene Airport, Ogui Road–Chime Avenue–Naira Triangle, and the stretch along Agbani Road, among others.

According to Ozor, tricycles were never designed for high-speed highways — their presence disrupts traffic flow and endangers lives. Under the new transport plan, BRT buses will operate along the primary highways, yellow buses will service secondary routes, while tricycles will be limited to “last-mile” connectivity.

The government also says it has secured 200 CNG-powered BRT buses and is working on assembling 4,000 electric taxis locally, intending to roll out the first 1,000 within three months. In addition, 84 new bus shelters have been built citywide to support the transport overhaul.

Transport unions have expressed cautious optimism: while they welcome the reorganisation, some have urged that alternatives be provided for the roughly 18,000 tricycle operators in the state.