CI-NEWS

Bamenda,Anglophone Crisis : City Mayor restricts bike circulation, but rekindling clandestine, In

2020-09-15

No: 531

*Bamenda,Anglophone Crisis* :

City Mayor restricts bike circulation, but rekindling clandestine, Inter-Urban transport sector rift?

By GEORGE Etoh Anzah in Bamenda.

The first days of September 2020 have gone down into the memories of Bamenda's city dwellers as a typical "run for your life" season. After the killing of a police inspector Petit Bikolo in Small Mankon by suspected armed men, hell broke loose. Government forces clashed with suspected separatists fighters at the detriment of the helpless unarmed population around Sonac Street, City Chemist, Commercial Avenue, Food Market street, and Small Mankon. This left the unarmed masses crawling , lying down on their bellies or raising hands up in total surrender as they journeyed home amidst the flying bullets. The Tuesday clash came a day after an observation of a ghost town and dashed an opportunity for many to recover from the economic losses of Monday.As the guns smoked throughout the afternoon, it was hoped that Wednesday would see a return to normalcy. This was not to be and Bamenda remained shutdown till Friday. Inhabitants stayed indoors in observance of a lockdown this time imposed by the military. Their patrolling the streets armed to the teeth was enough intimidation to cow them.

As a stop-gap measure to this insecurity,the city mayor Paul Achobong and Mezam SDO have proceeded with the restriction of circulation of private and commercial motor bikes within public perimeter. It is believed armed men mastermind kidnappings, killings and cause other havoc on board motor bikes. Paul Achobong holds that the sector breeds havoc to the population.Hear him "....motorbikes lead this town into chaos. People are kidnapped on motorbikes, others killed by bike riders. We cannot allow a sector of less than 10,000 to wreak havoc on more than 500,000 people living in Bamenda".The restriction implies commercial motor bikes shall not be allowed to access the following roads :Bamenda 1 :Government Residential Area(GRA) as well as administrative head quarters, Hot spot, Mile 1 and Mendakwe motor park bikes shall not ply the roads leading to the neighbouring quarters and neighbourhoods.

For Bamenda II Council areas ; former council junction to hospital round about, Azire new church junction to Hospital round about; Azire old church junction to Hospital round about; Rendez vous through the Army rescue to Ntamulung church; Veterinary junction through Ayaba hotel to T-junction and from Rendez vous to City Chemist round about.

At Bamenda 3 Council area: GTHS Canada through Nkwen to the city council; Foncha Street junction through Amour Mezam to Total Nkwen ; Total Nkwen through Cow street to Ngeng junction; Finance junction through New layout to Veterinary junction.

The order further relocates clandestine motor parks as follows :Mobile Nkwen park to Mile 4 park,Ntarinkon park to Mile 8 Mankon park, Santa Akum park at Commercial Avenue to Upstation Mendakwe park, Ekok, Mamfe, Widikum, Batibo at Hospital round about to Ntaturu park. This order, it should be noted, takes effect from Monday 7th September 2020 , another purported ghost town day.

The Friday 4th September decision which is the outcome of a meeting held at the office of the SDO of Mezam, The Horizon understands, is intended to maintain order and avoid subsequent harassment and chaos within the city.

The relocation of clandestine parks to other sites just comes to raise the dust of fruitless efforts by Abakar Ahamat, former governor of North West Province, and Tazong Abel Ndeh, former government delegate who through joint efforts ordered the relocation of these clandestine parks but the decision caused a rift between them and the inter-urban transporters. The riders then advanced no access to clients at the benefit of the latter and the resultant effect was the relocation of these inter-urban transporters to Upstation. The decision was long saluted by Bamenda's growing population who had been suffering from irregular traffic flow caused by these. However weeks later they were seen carrying out their usual business within the town and at the same sites. As the transporters returned, the clandestine parks took steam at their present site after a heated strike action by drivers of the Bamenda, -Bali and Bamenda-Batibo roads.

Thus The Horizon further quizzed as to whether or not crimes can’t be carried out from cars.The recent Mitanyen Cooperative burglary by armed men just goes to throw more weight to a plethora of worries. It should be noted the order does not specify any sanctions incase of violations though divisional and security officers are charged with its implementation.

This is not the first effort at bringing order in the bike sector. Former Mezam SDO, Songa Rene Pierre, instituted a compulsory identification and provision of jackets to bike riders and a painting of their tanks to a yellow colour. This however fell on deaf ears.

The meeting was attended by leaders of traders’ associations, the taxi drivers’ union, bike riders’ syndicate and officials of the Bamenda City council.

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Bamenda,Anglophone Crisis : City Mayor restricts bike circulation, but rekindling clandestine, In

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*Bamenda,Anglophone Crisis* : City Mayor restricts bike circulation, but rekindling clandestine, In

Bamenda,Anglophone Crisis : City Mayor restricts bike circulation, but rekindling clandestine, In