The Ekiti State Government has directed all commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators to register and undergo biometric data capture as part of efforts to improve security and regulate the transport sector.
The registration exercise will commence on July 6 and end on July 18, after which operators who fail to comply will face sanctions in line with the state’s transportation regulations.
The Commissioner for Transportation, Kehinde Ajobiewe, announced the directive during a stakeholders’ meeting in Ado-Ekiti. He said the exercise was designed to strengthen security, enhance public safety and improve oversight of commercial transport operations.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Transportation on Friday, Ajobiewe urged leaders of motorcycle and tricycle unions to ensure their members complete the registration before the deadline.
“The biometric registration of all commercial motorcycle riders and tricycle operators will begin on July 6. Operators who fail to register and obtain the required permits by July 18 will face sanctions in line with the state’s transportation regulations,” he said.
The commissioner explained that the exercise would enable the government to screen operators properly and issue valid riding permits upon successful registration.
He added that the initiative would create a comprehensive database of commercial transport operators, making it easier to identify them while helping to curb criminal activities linked to unregistered riders.
“The registration will be conducted at all offices of the Ekiti State Board of Internal Revenue across the 16 local government areas of the state,” Ajobiewe said.
He noted that the data generated from the exercise would also support transportation planning, improve service delivery and address challenges facing the commercial transport sector.
Ajobiewe reaffirmed the commitment of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration to strengthening security, maintaining an orderly transport system and improving the welfare of commercial transport operators.
The stakeholders’ meeting was attended by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, Bayo Abulola, representatives of the Commissioner of Police and the Federal Road Safety Corps, as well as leaders of motorcycle and tricycle operators’ associations.
Commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators remain a major means of transportation across Ekiti State, but concerns over the activities of unregistered riders have prompted the government to introduce the biometric registration exercise as part of broader measures to improve public safety.
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