By Akinwale Kasali
Opposition Party in Lagos State, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has appealed to the striking members of the Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria, JDWAN, to rescind the decision on its ongoing strike and consider the plight of commuters who have been going through hell since the strike commenced Monday.
It would be recalled that JDWAN had threatened to commence a seven-day strike over alleged extortion and harassment by motor park management and thugs popularly known as Agberos in Lagos State. This kicked off on Monday, 31st October, 2022.
Hundreds of Commuters are left stranded in different Bus Stations in the state following the withdrawal of operations by many commercial drivers.
The strike has seen Lagos, literally, at a standstill. And so grounded the socio-economic activities in the State.
Hakeem Amode, the Lagos State PDP Publicity Secretary, in a statement on Tuesday, urged the aggrieved transport workers to dialogue with the All Progressive Congress-led Government to end the suffering of commuters.
“The continued fleecing of the commuters and transport operators in Lagos State which has resulted in the members of the sector declaring strike, calls for the attention of everyone living, commuting, and working in the state of excellence.
“We sympathise with the Lagos State transport operators on their strike and urge them to consider the plight of ordinary commuters in Lagos who also bear the brunt of their agitation through the exorbitant transport fares which have eaten deep into their salary.
“We urge them to come up with an acceptable condition of operation and dialogue with the APC government to find a mutually beneficial position that would not put the people of the state in more agony,” Amode said.
The PDP also added that the transition of the National Union of Road Transport Workers to the Lagos State Parks Management Authority was the major cause of the problem, which degenerated into this present situation.
It stressed that the failure of successive administrations to invest in the productive development of the youth had increased the menace of motor park touts in the state.
“The government’s failure in education and youth development sectors had driven a lot of our youth to scavenge for daily collection of fares from transport operators.
“The recent promulgation of the State Parks Management Authority bill gives credence and legitimacy to this act,” he said.
PDP sympathised with the transport operators in the state, said that some drivers paid daily between N7,500 and N2,500 which caused them loss of profits.
It said that the daily injuries they suffered from motor park touts while enforcing collection of levies was also a matter of serious concern.
The statement said that the PDP administration, if elected in 2023 general elections, would reduce the burdens on transport operators.
The spokesman said that the PDP Government under its governorship candidate, Dr Abdul-Azeez Adediran and his running mate, Funke Akindele, would “do everything possible to ensure that the era of multiple taxation and collection of illegal dues on the road become a thing of the past.”
He said that the focus of the PDP government would be targeted at channeling the energy of the youth to education, sports, technology and community services.
