Interurban transportation via taxis will soon be reintroduced in the town of Maroua, after 23 years. Stakeholders in the transport sector and economic operators have ten days to organise themselves for the effective implementation of the project.

The declaration was made by the Government Delegate to the Maroua City Council as he chaired a concertations meeting with stakeholders of the transport sector on July 10, at the conference hall of the Council.

The reintroduction of transportation by taxis in the town of Maroua will be a welcome relief to the city dwellers, though it is not the first time this issue has been brought up as taxis were subjugated in favour of motorbikes.

In July 2011, former Governor, Augustine Awa Fonka, re-launched the activity 20 years after its disappearance, and this was successful only for about two months with some 60 taxis in circulation.

Like in the past, it was cut off in favour of motorbikes. Three years after, authorities of the town have reexamined the decision. Many are however skeptical about its effectiveness, given that, from history and testimonies, Maroua city dwellers have always favoured motorbikes to taxis.

They say they are cheaper and would drop passengers at the door steps, unlike taxis that will drop you at the station. Speaking as he chaired the concertation meeting, the Government Delegate, Robert Bakary, said the present situation in the town necessitates the reintroduction of the taxis as a means of urban transportation.

He advanced that with a population of close to 700,000, with an international airport, a State university and influx of visitors, Maroua is now a cosmopolitan town, which must live up to expectations. “You do not expect foreigners who land in our international airport to climb on a bike to their destination.

We have to make people live as comfortably as possible in this town. Even the students who are studying in the university, are used to boarding taxis in their various towns, and now they are forced to climb bikes, which most of the time is not comfortable. We have to progress”, the Government Delegate said.

To further convince participants at the meeting, the Government Delegate and the Mayors of Maroua I, II and III Councils, said that the re-launch of taxis will not only create employment, it will also generate income that will lead to the development of the town, adding that since the current curfew that has banned the circulation of motorbikes after 8p.m., due to security challenges the Region is facing, it has been realised that accidents and theft have drastically reduced, given that, unscrupulous persons used the bikes to commit crimes, especially at night. They did not fail to reiterate that accidents with motorbikes are more deadly than with taxis.

Though convinced, the stakeholders and economic operators were worried about the financial cost to run the taxi business, and the deplorable state of roads in Maroua. They were however assured that the Maroua City Council will assist the project financially for effective take off and this included, providing each interested person with the sum of FCFA 30,000 to paint his car yellow, to liaise with the authorities, especially the police, to allow the drivers begin the activity with specific documents and rehabilitate the roads to ease circulation.

Hence, the economic operators were given ten days to organise themselves for effective takeoff.