CITIZENS COMPASS – THE Chairman, Lagos State Parks and Garages Management Committe, Musiliu Akinsaya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, has reviewed illegal collection of fees from commercial drivers especially those plying Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.
However, MC Oluomo was said to have exempted Oshodi from the review as Area Boys are still operating illegally at Oshodi and its environs.
This was the findings by Citizens Compass when our Correspondent monitored illegal fee collection on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, on Friday, March 31, 2023.
This came barely 48 hours after some commetcial drivers of LT buses took to the streets to protest extortion by the park managers who operate on Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway especially from Oshodi to Sango/Tollgate.
In the cause of this story, Citizens Compass spoke with some LT drivers having boarded a bus from Oshodi down to Sango-Tollgate.
A senior driver, Adeniyi Akinoya who spoke with our Correspondent said the review carried out by MC Oluomo commenced on Friday, March 31, 2023.
According to him, the review affects major bus-stops like Iyana-Ipaja, Ile-Epo, Allakuko and Ijaye-Ojokoro among others.
He said previously, an average LT drivers pay N1, 900 but this has reduced to 500 while N2, 600 has reduced to N1, 000
For instance, at Iyana-Ipaja, commercial drivers now pay N1, 000 instead of N1, 000 excluding N700 evening charges.
At Ile-Epo, commercial drivers now pay N200 instead of N700 excluding the morning and afternoon charges of N200 per session.
He said the drivers now pay between N4, 900 and N10, 000 daily ticketing fee instead of N20, 000 and above.
Apart from the ticketing fee, Akinoya said the loading fees have also reduced per trip depending on the bus-stop.
For instance, a commercial driver who loads and charges N400 per passenger will now pay N200 instead of N1, 200.
He said at Oshodi, commercial drivers still pay N1, 500 per trip if he or she charged N500 fares.
Free weekends
” There is no issuing of tickets on Saturdays and Sundays. as the drivers are expected to only pay for booking, ”He said.
It was learnt that Oluomo took the decision on Thursday, March 30, 2023, after a meeting with the commercial bus drivers following peaceful protests by the drivers against illegal and arbitrary charges by the Agberos.
Citizens Compass had reported that on Wednesday, some commercial bus drivers plying the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway embarked on peaceful protests over alleged extortion.
The protest disrupted economic activities around Sango/Tollgate area of the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway as passengers were seen trekking long distances to their destinations.
After meeting with MC Oluomo, one of the drivers who was privy to the meeting, disclosed some of the resolutions made. .
” MC Oluomo told us on Thursday afternoon when we held a meeting with him at the state council that no driver from Oshodi to Tollgate must be compelled to pay illegal agbero taxes anymore.
” We are only to buy two tickets in a day, after which we will not pay anything aside from loading fees.
“The normal ticket sold and approved by the Lagos State Park Management is just N800.
“He said those extra taxes imposed at Iyana Ipaja and Agbado Ijaiye were no longer valid. We can either buy our daily tickets in Oshodi or Tollgate, and either will be recognised.
“Afterwards, we will buy the council ticket and booking for security, which is about N500.”
He stated that MC Oluomo has mandated that no driver should be made to buy tickets on Saturdays and Sundays.
He added that MC Oluomo also donated N1 million to those who were injured during the attack on protesting drivers.
