Tricycles took over taxis in my city

I grew up knowing about taxis within my community. The color stood out, and only on rare occasions were private vehicles used as public transportation. You will agree with me that laws were created for humans. But the usual is mostly unusual in my part of the world. I grew up with the abnormal and thought it was normal. The taxi drivers would put four passengers in the back seat of the conventional salon car, and two people would sit at the front, beside her driver. The front seats were bearable if the journey was short. In either option, the passenger's convenience was at stake, which can be worsened if any of the passengers were overweight or obese. We often groaned and lamented, but all would fall! The only concerns of the drivers were the profits, and they would not mind if the passengers squeezed themselves like sardines.

The tricycles came to my community in late 2020, and we all breathed a sign of relief, especially as the price for a fair could be bargained to as little as ₦30 for the same distance. We didn't have the luxury of sitting two behind; we sat in threes. This was not as uncomfortable as the taxis that made us sit as four in number. Also, the tricycles (popularly called 'keke' or 'maruwa') entertained a passenger by the driver's side. The seat is usually small, and sometimes you'll see the passengers legs protruding out of the tricycle. That was not enough; they improvised a plank they could easily retrieve or hide so as to pick an extra passenger, making three at the front (driver included) and three passengers behind. Was this greed? The fare equally increased, and what was once seen as a succor became a concern. The fare increased to ₦50, then gradually to ₦100, ₦150 and even ₦200, except for negotiable distances. The federal road safety corps (FRSC) and police traffic personnel were able to curb the act of harboring two passengers beside the driver in the tricycles. Painfully, the taxis are almost extinct, and residents have adjusted to the presence of tricycles as the major public transportation.

Tricycle accidents can be terrible as most of the drivers are often in a haste to beat traffic or meet up with financial targets, as most tricycles were rented out or given out as higher-purchases, where drivers can pay installments but at a higher price than it would be if they paid for the tricycle at once. I remember almost putting my foot out when the tricycle I was in almost tumbled due to the bad road. You could see the tricycles even competing with cars or even trucks.

My city remains relatively calm and decongested, as it is likely you'll get to wherever you desire within a short time. Traffics often clear out in minutes, except when there is a major issue or blockade. The roads in Ilorin are fairly okay, at least the trunk a and b roads. The trunk roads can be bad, especially those within the residential houses. Long-distance travel by road usually affords me interesting sightseeing before I sleep off, and we could strike interest in conversations and equally meet new faces.

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Thank you for reading. I would love to have your comments and contributions.