Lagos Island keke, minibus operators allege multiple daily levies, seek NURTW, govt intervention

By Adebola Muili

Commercial tricycle and minibus operators plying routes on Lagos Island have raised concerns over multiple daily levies they said they are compelled to pay at different points, lamenting that the payments are taking a significant chunk of their earnings.

The operators, who spoke with Hope Newspaper during separate interactions, pleaded anonymity for safety reasons, alleging that they are subjected to numerous collections ranging from ticket fees and booking charges to payments described as “owo loading,” “owo turning” and marker fees.

One of the operators explained that the daily ticket, which used to cost N700 for a full day, was initially increased to N1,000 before rising successively to N1,200 and N1,500.

According to him, another N200 was recently added, bringing the ticket to N1,700, while operators are now being told that the amount could rise to N2,000 for a single ticket.

“We used to pay N700 per day for a full day. It was later increased to N1,000 for a ticket, then gradually raised to N1,200 and N1,500. Recently, another N200 was added, allegedly because Shamelon is in jail, bringing it to N1,700. Now, they are proposing N2,000 for just one ticket,” the operator said.

Beyond the ticket payment, the operators listed several other charges allegedly collected along their routes.

They said they pay N300 for booking at Obalende Cornerstone, N200 allegedly to the police and N100 for what they described as “owo turning.”

Another N200 is allegedly demanded for “owo loading” when they carry three or four passengers, a payment the operators said could be collected repeatedly during a single trip.

“At Tinubu Bus Stop, we pay N300 for the marker and N200 to the council. That one is paid only once at Tinubu,” another operator said.

He added that N200 is allegedly collected once between Tom Jones Turning and Martins Junction, while at Idumota, operators are required to pay N200 in the morning and another N200 in the afternoon.

At the CMS Bookshop Junction, the operators alleged that another N200 is collected for a marker.

The operators further claimed that those passing through Itafaji face additional collections, with two different individuals allegedly collecting N200 each, apart from another payment demanded for “owo loading” when they return towards Obalende.

At UBA Junction, they also alleged that N200 is collected for a marker.

The operators said the repeated “owo loading” payments are particularly difficult to account for because they are allegedly demanded several times from the beginning to the end of each trip.

According to them, the cumulative effect of the payments leaves drivers with little money after settling their daily obligations, vehicle maintenance costs and other expenses.

The operators also explained that the numerous levies and daily payments were among the reasons fares had not come down for those who had converted their vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

According to them, although the conversion to CNG had reduced the cost of fuelling their vehicles, the savings were being absorbed by the various payments they allegedly make at different points along their routes.

“For those of us who have converted to CNG, the fare has not reduced because we still have all these payments to make. The money we save on fuel is taken by the different levies and collections we pay every day,” one of the operators said.

They said this was why CNG-powered vehicles continued to charge fares similar to those operated with petrol, despite the expectation that lower fuel costs would eventually translate into cheaper transportation for commuters.

One of the operators questioned how drivers working under daily remittance arrangements could survive after meeting the numerous payments.

“If the tricycle was given to them under a daily delivery arrangement, how are they expected to make these payments and still have enough left to provide for their families?” he asked.

The operators appealed to the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), particularly Mustapha Sego and other senior officials, to intervene and examine the situation.

“Mustapha Sego and other senior officials of the NURTW need to show more human feelings and consider the hardship we are facing,” one of them said.

They also appealed to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to pay attention to the alleged financial burden on commercial transport operators.

One of the operators particularly appealed to the NURTW leadership to prevent the situation from becoming a source of public anger against the government.

“Sego, please don’t let anyone start blaming the President because of the way we transporters are being extorted,” he said.

The operators’ allegations could not be independently verified by Hope Newspaper, and the individuals interviewed declined to disclose their identities, citing concerns for their safety.

The operators called for greater accountability over the various collections, saying the proliferation of levies along their routes was making commercial transportation increasingly difficult for drivers struggling to support their families.