Workers, businesses suffer on Lagos bus driver’s strike

The strike embarked upon by bus drivers in Lagos State on Monday hampered the movement of many workers, taking a toll on businesses.

BusinessDay gathered that some employees wasted hours at bus stops waiting for buses and got to their offices late while some had to return home.

The Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria (JDWAN), representing commercial drivers in Lagos State, started a seven-day warning strike to protest “indiscriminate extortion and violent harassment by the management of parks and garages in the state”.

“We kick against paying motor park thugs at every bus stop. All illegal money at garages and parks must stop,” Akintade Abiodun, national leader of JDWAN, said in a statement.

“The cost of transportation affects the cost of goods and services and consequently the cost of living, which has spiralled astronomically in Lagos State as a result of the effect of motor parks excessive and illegal ticketing and tolling at almost every bus stop,” the association said.

Commuters who spoke to our correspondents lamented the strike as it was difficult to get commercial buses, even as fares were raised by the bus drivers that operated.

Read also: Lagos commercial drivers to suspend transport services for 7 days

“When I got to the bus station at Abule Ado this morning by 7:45 am, there was no bus available; fortunately for me, I was able to get a bus that charged N300 to Mile 2 from Abule Ado,” Chinedu Eze said. “When I got to Mile 2, I noticed that all the tax collectors were still anticipating these buses that went on strike. However, I had to book a public taxi to take me to work.”

Sunday Igwe, a bus driver, said he usually paid over N6000 to settle motor park thugs, popularly known as ‘agberos’, and police daily from Agbara to Iyanoba.

Temitope Oladeji, another commuter, said he had to use the taxi option after waiting at the bus stop without getting a bus.

“I waited for an hour at the bus stop this morning; there was a crowd and no buses were available, and the ones available were going shorter distances. I had to take a cab to work this morning,” Oladeji said.

It was the same experience for Ngozi Ashinze who left Akoka to Oyingbo.

“There was bus scarcity and the buses that usually go to Oyingbo are now picking shorter distances; so it was hard getting to Oyingbo from Akoka, and the few ones available had their prices hiked,” Ashinze said.

School children are not left out as many of them were seen trekking to school while some others went back home.