Some commuters were stranded in Lagos State on Monday as commercial bus drivers begin a seven-day strike.
Many commuters were forced to trek and struggle for the few available means of transportation in the wee hours of today.
Kemi Filani reports that the strike is due to the alleged extortion by the men of motor parks and garages management in the State.
The Joint Drivers’ Welfare Association of Nigeria in a statement by its lawyer, Ayo Ademiluyi, said it had been subjected to indiscriminate extortion and violent harassment by the management of parks and garages in the state.
The reason why the Lagos drivers embarked on a strike
The statement read in part, “As commercial drivers in Lagos State under the aegis of JDWAN, we are left with no choice than to embark on seven days of protest and boycott of services over multiple and excessive extortions by the management of parks and garages in the state.
“We have notified members of the public and the Lagos State Government over multiple and excessive extortions by the motor parks and garages management.
“The cost of transportation affects the 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.”
The group alleged that its members lost half of their income to motor park ticketing, stating that they got arrested whenever they refused to pay for the tickets.
“No to charging drivers three passengers money after loading in parks or garages; we kick against paying motor park thugs at every bus stop; harassment of law enforcement agencies & intimidation with guns, cutlasses, broken bottles by LASTMA, task force and RRS must end immediately; we demand that the Lagos State Government should provide official bus stops in each community to avoid incessant arrests and stress for commuters who complain of having to trek several kilometres back to their bus stops.”
Watch the video of stranded commuters on some Lagos roads today due to the ongoing strike
Meanwhile, Chairman Musiliu Akinsanya aka MC Oluomo has unveiled the new uniform for members of the Lagos State Park and Garages Management; a move to make members of the body professional as against public perception.
Kemi Filani reports that in trending photos, MC Oluomo and some of his members posed for the camera wearing the uniform and a jacket with the inscription LASPG, an abbreviation for Lagos State Parks and Garages.
It will be recalled that MC Oluomo has been managing parks and garages in Lagos since pulling out of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in March 2022.
