ROTIMI ASHER
Following Bajaj kekes’ triumphant tour of over 5500 kilometers without recording a breakdown, Nigeria’s first ever keke (Tricycle) rally was, on Friday, wrapped up with a victory fête at the Lagos Sheraton Hotel.
In less than 41 days, the rally, which kicked off on 7th August from the Stallion Auto Keke – Ijesha Showroom, saw five Bajaj kekes touring through tough terrains of 5594 kms across 27 cities and 18 states in the West, East and North Central zones of the country.
Handled by five experienced riders, accompanied by the Stallion Bajaj officials and security agents, the rugged kekes’ convoy collectively covered more than 26000 Kms without any product issues.
Reacting to the extraordinary exploit, Mr. Manish Rohtagi, Managing Director of Stallion Auto Keke limited, described the new Baba Bajaj’s performance as a confirmation of its toughness, strength, reliability and adequate equipment for the Nigerian roads.
He said: “Baba Bajaj went through the tortuous trip without facing any performance or maintenance challenges, keeping its brand promise of “Runs Faster, Lasts Longer” through every rider who was part of the rally.
“We have been able to achieve the main objective of the rally, which is to showcase to the general public the supremacy of the product by testing its ruggedness. That was why we decided to run the keke through the tough terrains that people who buy the tricycle will use.
‘’We are glad that we have achieved what we planned fully, as dealers, stakeholder, media, mechanics, customers, end users and everybody can now appreciate the quality of the product. Had anyone in doubt before, I am sure there is no single question on their mind now about the ruggedness of the product.”
Flagged off from Lagos, the rally covered states like Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Enugu, Ebonyi, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Rivers, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun states, demonstrating the durability of Bajaj Keke as well as spreading the message of urging Nigerians to be responsible in maintaining hygiene to curb the spread of Corona Virus.
Motoring World earlier reported that, during the rally, the Stallion Bajaj Keke convoy visited celebrated cultural and historic sites in each states, highlighting and sharing the Nigerian culture of host communities.
“The journey to these sites,” Rohtagi pointed out, “brought forth the stories around it to encourage connecting the youth to their rich heritage.”
According to him, the rally’s vision was not only to prove how credible the product is, but also to engage in the stories of the riders, which, he believes, will go on to make the brand what it is.
“The alliance of Stallion and Bajaj,” he assured, “will continue to improve lives by going an extra mile, providing rider-training facilities, scholarship programmes, mechanic empowerment programmes, ease in financing, ease of spare part availability and differentiated customer service through its existing footprints within the auto industry.”
Bajaj Auto Ltd. is a world leader in the intra city vehicle space. Loved in 70 countries, the brand stands for integrity, dedication, resourcefulness and determination to succeed and empower. It is a well-known brand for its durability, speed and maneuverability and is the pioneer brand of tricycles in Nigeria loved by millions.
No doubt, it’s a keke for the people, engineered for a smooth journey and better livelihood.
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