IT was a frustrating Monday morning for commuters who reside along the LASU-Isheri, Isheri-Egbeda axis, as they were left stranded in the early hours of the day following the commencement of a seven-day strike embarked upon by the Joint Drivers’ Welfare Association of Nigeria (JDWAN) over “multiple and excessive extortions” by the Parks Management Committee.
In addition to the unavailability of sufficient buses to convey commuters, those who plied the road hiked the fares by almost 100 per cent across various routes within the local government.
While some commuters grudgingly paid the high fares to connect to their destinations, others took to trekking long distances, while those who could not afford the fare stood at the bus stops, hoping for a bus with a more favourable rate.
In one of the buses boarded by Alimoshotoday's correspondent, some passengers had a face-off with the driver, insisting that the hike was unjustifiable and wicked. A lady who appeared to be more pained by the incident wondered how the increment will stop agberos from extorting the drivers.
She then accused the drivers of being in the same league as those extorting them in that passengers are now made to suffer and pay more to feed both the louts and the drivers.
In his defence, the driver said the reason was so that they could make up for lost money. The driver also said they were taking a risk plying the road even after the strike notice of their association, noting that they needed to increase their fares to be sure the risk was worth it.
The dispute between the commercial drivers’ union and the state government has not been resolved, as the strike will continue to take its toll on Lagosians.
