Motoring
Truck Owners Reject New Traffic Law in Lagos, Threatens Strike
Even as reactions have continued to trail the signing into law of the bill restricting the movement of trailers on Lagos roads between the hours of 6am and 9pm by the Lagos State Governor; Babatunde Fashola (SAN), truck owners and drivers operating in Lagos have rejected the law saying that its cumulative effect will bring down the economy of Nigeria.
Even as reactions have continued to trail the signing into law of the bill restricting the movement of trailers on Lagos roads between the hours of 6am and 9pm by the Lagos State Governor; Babatunde Fashola (SAN), truck owners and drivers operating in Lagos have rejected the law saying that its cumulative effect will bring down the economy of Nigeria.
The truck drivers under the aegis of Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) have also threatened that if the Lagos State Government refuses to revoke the law, truck drivers will be embarking on a nationwide strike action.
Executives of the association as well as other sister associations like the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NATO) and the Joint Council of Seaport Truckers, took turns to address their members at a sensitization program held in Lagos yesterday. Members of association and truck drivers also condemned the omission of the petroleum tankers from the law saying that the action is highly political.
According to the truck owners, the action of the Lagos state government is totally against the trade facilitation and 48 hours cargo clearance target of the federal government.
National Chairman of AMATO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi in his speech declared the traffic law as ‘dead on arrival’ because it is going to have a negative effect on the lives and properties of the truck owners as well as on drivers of the trucks, he appealed to the Lagos state government to amend the law because presently there is no adequate security and good roads for the trucks to ply.
“This regulation is not favorable, it says we can only operate from 9pm to 6am, can government guarantee the safety of the lives and properties of our members? Do they have the mercenaries to protect them; these are question that is begging for an answer, we are appealing to government to help us resign that decision for the interest of our own sector” Ogungbemi said.
He maintained that truck drivers are not to be blamed for the frequent traffic congestions in Lagos and that the problem is largely due to bad roads and negligence on the part of the government.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Joint Council of Seaport Truckers, Mr. Kayode Odunowo lamented that the state government failed to call stakeholders and ask for their inputs before signing the bill into law last week.
Odunowo also complained that privatization of the ports has further added to the traffic situation in Lagos State as all the parking spaces for trucks has been concessioned to private operators.
“In the history of Nigeria we have never had such a law, when you move in the morning you will pray to God not to be robbed by thieves how much more when you now ask them to move at night, these are some of the reasons why we said we will not agree to it”
Another member of AMATO, Mr. Chiaka Nwaogu called for the cooperation of the members whenever the strike action begins. He encouraged the truck drivers that in as much as the government has not gazetted the law they should still go about their business and not be afraid.
“They have passed it into law but they have not gazetted it, so nobody should be afraid of going into the port to operate, go and do your businesses until they will gazetted it, and I know for sure that laws are made for human beings and at the same time you can repeal the law, they will see our action soon”
“The road is not there, the terminal operators will still ask you leave the port so where are you going to park, there is no way we are going to accept that law, we will do everything we can to fight the policy because it’s just too bad” Chiaka said.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has ended contracts with taxi rank and terminal operators due to their failure to meet engagement terms and conditions.
Mr. Ubokutom Nyah, the Mandate Secretary of the Transportation Secretariat, FCTA, made this announcement during a meeting with managers of these terminals and taxi ranks in Abuja.
Nyah clarified that due to the operators’ failure to fulfill their engagement terms, the FCTA had to terminate their contracts.
He instructed them to transfer control of the ranks to the Administration within three months, starting from Nov. 21.
He lamented the presence of unauthorized motor parks in the city and assured the readiness of the Administration to establish proper taxi ranks and terminals in the capital.
He revealed that personally visiting the city’s taxi ranks, terminals, and unauthorized motor parks gave him direct insight into the poor condition of these facilities.
He emphasized that as the federal capital city, Abuja deserves better, highlighting that the poor condition of these facilities attracts various criminal elements.
He said “We must rid Abuja of all these. I have gone round the taxi ranks, and of all the places I visited, not one is worthy to be called even a village motor park.”
The Mandate Secretary stressed that the intention wasn’t punitive; rather, it aimed to revamp the sector, introduce new engagement terms, and modernize taxi ranks and terminals in the federal capital.
He also highlighted the plan to increase the number of terminals and ranks where necessary, which would positively impact the administration’s revenue.
He emphasized that this measure was part of a broader effort to eliminate illegal motor parks in Abuja and curb the associated criminal activities.
In response, Mr. Adebisi Lawal, the Operator of Jahi Taxi Rank, praised the administration’s initiative to modernize the taxi ranks and terminals.
Lawal urged the administration to prioritize current operators’ involvement in the selection of new developers for the modernization of the taxi ranks and terminals.
It was a show of power at the Ojota area of Lagos on Monday as soldiers pummeled an officer of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, (LASTMA).
Eyewitness accounts claim that the ugly scene played out around 8am, and saw about eight soldiers pounce on the yet to identified LASTMA official, while his colleagues took to their heels.
The video of the melodrama has gone viral, where the LASTMA official was appealing to the soldiers, who appeared bent on ‘teaching him a lesson’.
This onslaught comes on the back of a reported assault of a soldier at the same location by LASTMA officials last week.
It would appear that what played out today was the army asserting its authority and defending their khaki as the armed soldiers carried out what looked like a revenge mission.
Eyewitnesses further averred that the victim was rushed to a nearby hospital, after the soldiers left the scene.
It was gathered that the authorities at LASTMA has reported the incident to the military authorities who are said to be looking into the matter.
Meanwhile many members of the public are rejoicing that the soldiers have taught the crude LASTMA official that power is stronger than power, for all their atrocities against motorists on Lagos roads.
The impact of the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, has seen the pump prices of the product skyrocket with a corresponding increase in the cost commercial transportation in Nigeria.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), intra-city bus transportation fares across Nigerian cities, measured between May and June 2023, increased from N649.59 to N1,285.41 in June 2023.
This translates to 98 percent growth or N635.82 within the month in view.
The NBS made the data available in its Transport Fare Watch report for June 2023.
In the report, the NBS also shared the breakdown of bus journeys within the cities per drop for constant routes; bus journey intercity (state route); charges per person, amongst others.
On a year-on-year basis, the report has it that bus fares rose by 120.63 percent from N582.61 paid by commuters in June 2022.
The average fare paid by commuters for bus journey intercity per drop rose to N5,686.49 in June 2023 compared to N4,002.16 in May 2023 indicating an increase of 42.09 percent, month-on-month.
The report read, “The average fare paid by commuters for bus journeys within the city per drop increased by 97.88 per cent from N649.59 in May 2023 to N1,285.41 in June 2023.
On a year-on-year basis, it rose by 120.63 per cent from N582.61 in June 2022.
“In another category, the average fare paid by commuters for bus journey intercity per drop rose to N5,686.49 in June 2023, indicating an increase of 42.09 on a month-on-month basis compared to N4,002.16 in May 2023.
“On a year-on-year basis, the fare rose by 55.25 per cent from N3,662.87 in June 2022.”
Biztellers reported that the twin forces of forex pressure and increasing price of Brent in the global market would likely see the pump prices of petrol, increased again in no distant time in Nigeria.
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