Nigerian tuk-tuk drivers in Kano strike over new tax

Tuk-tuk drivers have gone on strike in Nigeria's Kano state leaving commuters to walk to work on Monday morning. 

The strike is in protest against a N100 ($26 cents; £19p) daily levy imposed by the Kano state government.

The authorities in the northern state say the tax will help raise funds to improve infrastructure. 

One of the drivers of the three-wheeler vehicles more commonly called Adaidaita-Sahu here, Sani Ibrahim, told the BBC that he will not return to work until the government scraps the new tax. 

Some passengers told me that they walked tens of kilometres to get to work.

I found one commuter Hajiya Hajara resting his leg, unhappy about the strike.

“My leg is paining me but I have to go out, this strike is needless and government should do all it can to resolve this because we the poor people are the ones suffering,” he said. 

Officials of Kano Traffic Agency say they are over a million tuk-tuks in Kano, which is Nigeria's most populous state.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: BBC