Commuters Stranded As Lagos Bus Drivers Begin Their Strike 

The alleged extortion by the individuals in charge of the State’s auto parks and garages is what sparked the strike.

By Omotayo Olutekunbi

The start of a seven-day strike by commercial bus drivers left many passengers stranded in Lagos State on Monday, October 31, 2022.

The alleged extortion by the individuals in charge of the State’s auto parks and garages is what sparked the strike.

The workers claim that when drivers refuse to pay the extortion, they are detained and forced to provide the police with N10,000.

The Joint Drivers Welfare Association Of Nigeria (JDWAN), which represents commercial drivers in Lagos State, the country’s financial hub, had previously announced a 7-day boycott of transportation services in response to the State government’s arbitrary charges.

The association pledged to boycott services throughout the state in a statement released on Sunday by its National Leader, Akintade S. Abiodun, Chairman, Opeyemi Sulaiman, General Secretary, Ajimatanarareje A. Feyisayo, and Assistant Secretary, Taofik Hassan, over claims that the management of state parks and garages, as well as those affiliated with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employed (RTEAN).

The statement read, “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. 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.

“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, whether we pick up passengers or not, we pay morning, afternoon, and night. Some routes have 25 bus stops which also serve as illegal tax collection avenues.”

There has reportedly been some partial compliance with the strike, as some drivers have chosen to ignore the union’s protest while raising their prices, leaving many passengers stuck at bus stops.