Edo State Government has rolled out benefit packages for tricycle and motorcycle riders across the state that includes life and health insurance covers and other incentives to improve their compliance with the government’s new Rider’s Permit initiative.
Director of Transport, Ministry of Infrastructure, Mr. George Aghahowa, in a statement, said the state government is rolling out the Rider’s Permit Initiative to curb criminality, build a database for identification and profiling of the over 53,000 motorcycle and tricycle riders across the state and provide insurance cover for private and commercial riders.
He however, warned that the use of motorcycles within the Benin City metropolis remains prohibited while tricycles are restricted to specified areas in line with the state government’s earlier pronouncement.
According to him, “The Edo State Government has commenced the registration exercise for motorcycle and tricycle operators across the state so as to sanitise their operations and provide them with packages to make their activities more efficient and trustworthy.
“With N10,000 for the Rider’s Permit payable through our vendors, the riders’ permit which covers private and commercial riders, including those in the logistics sector, provides insurance packages and other benefits to enable them operate safely across the state. The insurance package includes life insurance, health insurance and a cover in the event of permanent disability. Aside from the insurance cover, the riders would also get unique codes for identification, which will be issued after they have been profiled for documentation in our database.”
The Executive Director, Compliance at the Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), Mr. Emmanuel Ehimare Okodugha, said the scheme is a tax for benefit initiative that provides special incentives to the riders in the state, adding that it helps to provide sanity and order in the sector.
He noted: “We are interested in building a robust database for riders in the state and it is expected that the initiative would curb the spate of criminality perpetuated by those posing to be motorcycle and tricycle riders.”
