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The Joint Drivers Association of Nigeria (JDWAN), Lagos State chapter, has concluded plans to embark on a seven-day warning strike, starting from Monday, October 31, 2022.
The joint drivers, at a press briefing in Lagos, said that those expected to participate in the strike include drivers of mini buses (Korope), coaster buses federal Mass Assisted Transit, Mazda buses, T4, LT, Ford and cars who would remove their vehicles from Lagos roads for one week.
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The Lead Counsel to the drivers, Ayo Ademiluyi, said the strike action was necessary to protest multiple extortion and violent harassment by members of Lagos State Parks and Management Committee led by Musiliu Akinsanya popularly known as MC Oluomo, in conjunction with law enforcement agencies in the state.
According to him, the drivers usually lose more than half of their income to the motor park boys through exorbitant levies in the garages and bus-stops whether or not they pick or drop passengers.
He kicked against the formation of the parks and garages committee, saying it’s not backed up by law.
Also speaking, the national leader of the association, Comrade Akintade Abiodun, said the multiple levies on the joint drivers by the garage boys and law enforcement agents have led to increase in the prices of food items in Lagos compared with other states, as consignments into the state are heavily levied by garage boys and touts who mount road blocks on Lagos roads to extort the drivers.
The general secretary, Ajimatanrareje Feyisayo pointed out that a driver, Ademola Anisere was seriously injured and his vehicle damaged by garage touts in Badagry recently over failure to remit the early morning levies at one of the bus-stops.
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He added that, ‘’Anisere was said to be coming out of his home to pick passengers when some garage touts swooped on him and all his pleas that he was just starting the day’s work fell on deaf ears and he was beaten Black and Blue while his vehicle was damaged.
’70 per cent of our daily earnings go to the coffers of garage boys and touts. From Badagry to Mile 2, we pay between N3,500 and N5,000 at 25 illegal tolls created by motor park hoodlums, who collect from N200 to N300 per bus.
‘’From Seme Park, we pay N7,100 before the first trip, yet, we forcefully pay levies at the 25 illegal tolls. On federal mass and Coaster buses, we pay N12,000 and above on each trip from Oko-Afo to CMS which includes loading charges at various bus-stops.
‘’From Ogijo to Ikorodu, we pay N5,500 and above excluding garage ticket (N850), chairman ticket (N1,700), King’s levy (N200), Ita-Oluwo (N500), Ile-Epo-Oba (N200) and N900 for picking or dropping passengers. Leadership News online report.”