Commuters were on Saturday stranded along the Lagos-Badagry
Expressway as drivers of commercial bus popularly known as ‘
Danfo’ protested alleged extortion and constant manhandling by louts.
No commercial shuttle was seen plying the roads while several
commuters were spotted trekking.
Only commercial motorcycles were seen having a field day
bargaining and conveying passengers on an agreed payment condition.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that commercial bus drivers
had embarked on a “cease commuter operation” along the
Lagos-Badagry axis up to Mile 2 area of the state,
following what they termed an unbearable increment in their ticket fees.
Some commercial bus drivers, who spoke to our correspondent,
disclosed that they would not return to work along the axis unless
government intervened to address an outrageous hike in ticket
fees by transport unions in Lagos.
The drivers alleged that unions under the aegis of National
Union of Road Transport Workers and the Road Transport
Employers Association of Nigeria are responsible for regulating
the affairs of commercial buses in the axis.
They said that members of the unions are allegedly extorting
bus drivers by collecting exorbitant ticket fees, as well as allegedly
brutalising drivers who failed to cooperate with them.
According to them, the union has indiscriminately increased
the price of their ticket from N500 to N800 without a warning notice.
They described the situation as unbearable especially considering
the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had left a
majority of bus drivers in want.
A commercial bus driver, Mr Kehinde Solomon,
said that the ticket fees collected by those he described as
“agberos” had become outrageous. He stressed that drivers pay different
exorbitant amount of money at every bus stop, adding that members
of the union collect these monies by coercion and without empathy.
He said that they often beat up drivers and conductors who delay or refuse
payment and even vandalised their buses.
“Commercial bus drivers usually pay N500 at every bus stop but we are
now compelled to pay N800. KINDLY SHARE THIS STORYThe drivers alleged that
unions under the aegis of National Union of
Road Transport Workers and the Road Transport Employers
Association of Nigeria are responsible for regulating the
affairs of commercial buses gang beat up against such driver and his conductor.
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