Ajao estate cab  operators count their losses

By Sunday Ogundiran

It is 8pm yet Rashèed Alabi was still hopeful that he might get hired to take a passenger to a destination.

Rasheed’s condition is shared by many car hire operators in the Ajao estate area of Oshodi-isolo LGA,  who have been counting their loses since the government declared lickdown if Lagos.

Ajao Estate is home to many hotels who rely on the travelers using the Murtala Muhammed International airport to survive.

nd are  decrying Little wonder, then, that the car hire drivers are not happy with the closure of the airport that delivers clients to the hotels.

Our correspondent went round visiting different motor parks which have been deserted since the initial lockdown.

Mr.Toye  Joseph, a car hire operator told our correspondent that the  job is not encouraging anymore as they find it difficult to work due to  restrictions on movement.

Stating that the job which used to be  lucrative, as they work with  with hotel organisations have turned out to be a sad one these days as hoteliers are even frustrated.

Gbenga, another operator, told Echonews that he makes a lot from the commission he gets from hotels for bringing passenges who want to lodge.

The situation has led to cut-throat struggle among car hire drivers who have expanded their services by offering to pick passengers, drò them at their destinations and wait to bring them back.

Playing the king in the new trend are the receptionists who are in a position to take the requests of lodgers and link them with  car hire operators.