Commercial Motorists Defy Sanwo-Olu’s Order, Refuse Fares Cut
Many members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in Lagos have refused to comply with the state government’s directive to reduce their transport fares.
Instead the fares had increased in some parts of Lagos while it remained the same in many other areas across the state.
Last week, as part of his regulations to ameliorate the suffering of Lagos residents, following the hike in fuel pump price, the state Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced 50 per cent cut in the transport fare of all government owned vehicles while urging the commercial buses operators to do same.
While the Bus Rapid Transit and Lagos Ride had since reduced the fare by 50 per cent, commercial drivers refused to do same.
From Berger Bus Stop to Tafawa Balewa Square that cost N400 before, the BRT had reduced the fare to N250.
However, the commercial bus from Berger to Obalende that cost N700 before had increased to N1000. Despite Sanwo-Olu’s order, some commercial vehicles take N1500 from Berger to Victoria Island and N2000 to Lekki.
On Friday, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Abdulhafiz Toriola led a team to some commercial motor parks in Lagos to observe their level of compliance.
Briefing the Transport Unions at Agege, Iyana Ipaja and Ikeja parks and garages, the Permanent Secretary noted that between 60 and 80 percent compliance had already been achieved. He assured that the Ministry would continue its sensitisation efforts to ensure complete adherence to the directive.
Toriola who was represented by Engr. Olasunkanmi Ojowuro reiterated the need for yellow buses to comply with the directive of the Chairman of the Lagos State Parks and Garages announcement on the reduction in the union park tickets for drivers by 25 percent, urging them to reflect the reduction in their fare charges.
He further emphasised the need for Transport Unions across the State to monitor drivers under their units and branches to ensure they fully adhere to the directive, saying “There is a need for them to monitor commuter buses within their zones”.
Responding on behalf of the Unions present at the parks, Akeem Agberoungbe, Secretary of the Transport Unions at Ikeja Park, confirmed that their union members have complied with the directive of the reduction to ease the effect of the petrol subsidy removal.
Similarly, Musiliu Disu, a transport union leader at Iyana Ipaja also stated that the level of compliance at the park is impressive. He expressed the Unions’ commitment to continue monitoring their members for improved compliance.
But some of the passengers who spoke to Echonews lamented that the fare was never reduced, instead it had increased.
According to one Mr. Dauda Adeolu, only BRT has reduced its fare, adding, “It is laughable that government can say that the commercial drivers had complied 80 per cent. May be in another planet.”
He stated that he boarded a bus from Tollgate to Berger at N200 instead of N100 while returning from work on Wednesday.
