Commuters stranded as Lagos bus drivers kick-off strike
Many commuters were stranded in Lagos State on Monday, October 31, 2022, as commercial bus drivers commenced a seven-day strike.
The strike is due to the alleged extortion by the men of motor parks and garages management in the State.
According to the striking drivers, when they refuse to be extorted; they get arrested and have to bring the police with N10,000.
What happened: Recall that the commercial drivers in Nigeria’s economic nerve centre, Lagos State, under the umbrella of the Joint Drivers Welfare Association Of Nigeria (JDWAN), had declared a 7-day boycott of transport services in protest against arbitrary levies imposed on members by the State government.
The association in a statement issued on Sunday by its National Leader, Akintade S. Abiodun; Chairman, Opeyemi Sulaiman; General secretary, Ajimatanarareje A. Feyisayo and Assistant Secretary, Taofik Hassan, vowed to boycott services across the state over alleged multiple and excessive extortion of their members by the management of parks and garages in the state, as well as those attached to the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employers Association Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).
The statement read, “This is to notify members of the public and the Lagos state government over multiple and excessive extortion by the motor parks and garages management. The cost of transportation affects cost of goods and services and consequently the cost of living, which has spiraled astronomically in Lagos State as a result of the effect of motor parks excessive and illegal ticketing and tolling at almost every bus stop.
“We have been sentenced to the extortion and violent harassment of the state transport agencies – Lagos State motor parks and garages management and Lagos State caretaker committee.
“On a daily basis, we lose half of our income to the motor park boys. We pay exorbitant charges in the garages and at every bus stop where we drop off passengers, whether we pick up passengers or not, we pay morning, afternoon and night. Some routes have 25 bus stops which also serve as illegal tax collection avenues.”
Situation report: According to reports, there is observed partial compliance with the strike as some drivers shunned the protest by the drivers’ union but increased their fares forcing many passengers to be stranded at bus stops.
