Parliament gives Government one month to solve motorcyclists problem [Archives:2006/908/Local News]
SANA'A, Dec. 31 ) The Parliament's Transport and Communication's Committee gave the Yemeni Government a period of one month to solve the motorcyclists issue highlighted last week. The government had issued a decree to ban motorcycles in the Capital Secretariat June last year, depriving by that more than five thousand families of their sole income. Outraged by this decree, the motorcyclists held many demonstrations in protest, which lead the authorities to taking a more lenient stand. According to the local citizens, the authorities limited the ban to only motorcycles from outside the Capital yet working in Sana'a, or those without license. Since then, the authorities have been confiscating motors from the streets increasing the number of withheld motorcycles to 1500 until date.
End of last year, a number of motorcyclists have taken their case to the parliament in request for justice. In a peculiar situation, they slaughtered an ox in front of the parliament, practicing by that a traditional way for demanding solutions. The parliament forwarded the issue to the Capital Secretariat Office and demanded commensuration for the motorcyclist whose motorcycles have been seized, and to provide the owners with government jobs, else to request the return of the motorcycles and send their owners to operate outside Sana'a. These demands were forwarded in June, according to Abdulmalek Al-Samawi, repertuer of the Parliament's Transportation and communication committee. However, the motorcyclists rejected them all saying that these recommendations are not practical. “The compensation would not be enough, and even if they give us jobs, the salaries suggested are too minimal and of course we can not work miles away from our homes.” The motorcyclists explained their rejection.
The motorcyclists wanted to express their protest against the government and continuity their tragedy.” We requested the parliament and the government more than six month
