Lagos commercial drivers under the aegis of the Joint drivers’ welfare association of Nigeria (JDWAN) have called for a 7-day mass protest and total boycott, starting from Monday 31st of October.
In a statement obtained by the NOHR and signed by Akintade S Abiodun, National Leader, and three other officials, JDWAN said the action followed ” multiple and excessive extortions by the motor parks and garages management”
The statement read:
Joint Drivers Welfare Association Of Nigeria (JDWAN) Calls For 7 Days Mass Protest And Total Boycott, Starting From Monday 31st Of October.
This is to notify members of the public and the Lagos state government over multiple and excessive extortions by the motor parks and garages management.
Commercial drivers are the cornerstone of every economy. We are responsible for the transportation of goods, personnel and in many cases, the delivery of services across the nooks and crannies of the state. 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.
However, as dedicated professionals, 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, either we pick up passengers or not, we pay morning afternoon, and night. some routes have 25 bus stops which also serves as illegal tax collection avenues.
We crave the indulgence of the public to go through the meticulous breakdown of this unprecedented level of extortion we go through below
From Badagry to mile 2, we pay 3500 & 5000 naira apart from 25 illegal tolling/ticketing by motor park hoodlums who collect two to three hundred naira per bus.
From Seme in their park, they do collect 7100 in the morning before loading our buses yet we are still subject to illegal collection on the highway.etc
When we resist extortion we get arrested and pay 10,000 naira for bail to the police while the motor park boys go Scot free and we also have to bail our buses separately.
Lagos drivers also pay for entertainment, security, unit chairman’s food, and many other ridiculous levies with threat of violence at any slight refusal by the drivers.
This is the exact case of the popular parlance on the exploitation of labourers, “baboon dey work and monkey dey chop”. Lagos commercial drivers work like elephants and eat like ants while the urchins under the aegis of motor park workers take a large chunk of our earnings. We can hardly fulfill our contractual obligations with our business partners, feed our family or afford maintenance or repair of our vehicles.
Our demands are:
1. No to charging drivers three passengers money after loading in parks or garages, we are demanding it should be one passenger’s money per bus.
2. We demand that Only Lagos State government ticket should be the only ticket in Lagos, others e.g Lagos State parks & garages management, Lagos State caretaker committee are not acceptable to all drivers in Lagos State.
3. We kick against Paying motor park thugs at every bus stop. All illegal money paid after we leave the garages and parks should be abolished immediately.
4. Harassment of law enforcement agencies & intimidation with guns, Cutlass, and broken bottles by LASTMA, task force & RRS must end immediately. They collaborate and hire thugs to attack and extort us every day without violating any law.
5. We have lesser bus stops for commercial vehicles. Most bust stops in Lagos are strictly assigned officially to BRT buses only and we get arrested for dropping off passengers at existing bus stops which are known to commuters as official bus stops for decades. 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 kilometers back to their bus stops.
We call on the Lagos State government to quickly respond to avert the current anomaly. Failure to adhere to these demands will only attract more protests and total boycotts, the Joint Drivers Welfare Association Of Nigeria (JDWAN) is resolute in pursuing justice by all legitimate and peaceful means available.
AKINTADE S ABIODUN
National Leader
09035468563
OPEYEMI SULAIMAN
Chairman
08157807291
AJIMATANARAREJE A FEYISAYO
General secretary
08034081189
TAOFIK HASSAN
Assistant Secretary
07065443351
