Commercial transporters shun Govt’s appeal for 25% rebate

• Gov, Park Managers Insincere — Drivers
• Govt Away Of Non-Compliance, To Engage Park Managers, Others, 

Days after the commencement date of a 25 per cent slash in transport fares announced by the Lagos State Government, commercial bus drivers, and transport unions have blatantly failed to comply with the directive.

In the last two months, the cost of commuting across the state has been rising and has refused to change, despite the directive by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu that the slash should come into effect on August 2 to mitigate the harsh effect of petrol subsidy removal.

Expectedly, the non-compliance by transporters, the Lagos State Parks and Garages Management, and Lagos State Parks Administrator, has, therefore dashed the hopes of commuters, who were eager to pay 25 per cent less for intra-state trips.

Sanwo-Olu, who gave the directive after the state’s Security Council meeting held on Monday, July 31, in Alausa, announced a 50 per cent fare reduction across the state-owned public transportation services, even as he informed that the pronouncement was made after the state government had met with critical stakeholders.

Commuters using BRT buses and other public transport means operated by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), and the Lagos Ferry Services (LAGFERRY), going by the government’s decision were also to enjoy robust fare cut.

The governor disclosed that operators in the informal transport sector (commercial drivers) would embark carry out similar gestures in a bid to reduce the cost of transportation, adding that commercial operators in the state agreed to cut their fares by 25 per cent.

The governor said that the palliative would be sustained pending the outcome of the Federal Government’s final decision on the several relief measures planned for citizens to reduce the effects of the fuel subsidy removal.

Sanwo-Olu said: “In the course of the State Security Council meeting today, we reviewed the current economic situation that we have in the country, especially as it affects our residents in Lagos. We have had extensive consultations with all the stakeholders in our transport sector, both formal and informal. We have concluded, that both the state government and the stakeholders will be supporting.

“Immediately from Wednesday (August 2), all public transport services under the control of LAMATA will be plying all routes across Lagos at a 50 per cent fare rebate of the current rate. Route configuration and new fare validation are currently being done ahead of the kick-off of the palliative measures. Commercial operators in informal transport services will be rolling out their fare reduction plan, which is about 25 per cent. They are meeting with themselves on the modality as we speak.

“We have also concluded the arrangement to increase the fleet of our staff buses conveying workers to their offices and homes. We have procured more buses to achieve this objective and the vehicles are being supplied already. We are waiting to get the required number before deploying the vehicles to various arms in the public service. Extra buses will be deployed back to the public transport system to complement the services.”

A day after the governor’s directive, the Chairman of the Lagos State Parks and Garages Management Committee (LSPG), Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo, at a meeting with transport union leaders and operators on said: “We, the state executives and the entire members of Lagos State Parks and Garages met today in Lagos to review the situation in the country, particularly in Lagos, following the oil subsidy removal by the Federal Government.”

Akinsanya, at the meeting, also announced relief measures for commercial bus drivers and passengers to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal.

He announced a reduction in the park tickets for drivers from N800 to N600, along with a 25 per cent decrease in all booking fees.

Akinsanya informed that transport fares for passengers would change, with some routes having their N500 fares reduced to N300, while trips on routes charged N200 would be reduced to N150.

Akinsanya, who also said that commercial motorcycles and tricycle operators would get a 25 per cent reduction on the tickets that they purchase daily, added that a task force team that would monitor the implementation of the directive would be led by all members of the state’s executive committee, parks’ chairmen, and selected union leaders. He assured that the government’s directive would be fully complied with.

But The Guardian, which monitored the level of compliance across the state, found out that the directive is observed in the breach. For instance, transport fare from Agege to Ikeja remained between N300 and N400, with that payable for a trip from Ijora to Oshodi still standing at N500. Also, from Apapa to Ijora, transporters over the weekend still charged N200, while Apapa to Costain remained unchanged – N300.

The fare charged on the Mile 2 to CMS route has not changed either, as transporters charged commuters between N400 and N500 at peak periods, which was the rate before the slash in fare was announced.

It was also observed that transport fare from Ejigbo to Canoe Bus Stop, which used to be N300 has remained the same, just as Canoe to Five Star Bus Stop has not changed from N300.

Corroborating The Guardian findings, a resident, Blessing Oladunjoye, said that she was excited by the government’s directive, especially as it also includes the reduction of commercial buses.

She, however, expressed frustration that commercial operators on her route were still charging the old rate.

“Commercial vehicles are still charging the old fare, and there is no form of reduction be it 25 or 50 per cent. For instance, last Wednesday, Ogba to Alausa still went for N250, while the return leg was N300. When I queried the driver, he said the chairman of the Ogba garage is different from the chairman of the Alausa garage, and that he paid different levies at the two parks.

She, however, said that her friend who commuted on the BRT bus from Ikorodu informed her that the fare was reduced by 50 per cent.

“But for us that use yellow buses, maybe a lot more needs to be done to ensure compliance,” Oladunjoye appealed.

A driver, Sola Ademola, wondered why he would reduce the transport fare when the government did not provide him with subsidised fuel.

“So, if I reduce the fare by 25 per cent, who will compensate me when park managers who are government representatives have not drastically reduced the levies? The governor is just paying lip service; deceiving the people that he is working in their interest. If the governor means business, he should tell the park managers to collect just N800 daily from us. “Akinsanya said that N200 would be removed from the N800 ticket that we buy. What about the numerous levies that we pay all through the day at bus stops, and during every trip that we make? So, the governor needs to do more than just giving directives and waiting for compliance when we are not going to be subsidised.”

The state chairman of the Self Employed Commercial Drivers Association of Nigeria (SECDAN), Alhaji Job Abifarin, accused the state governor, Akinsanya and Oniba Ekun Of Iba Land, Sulaimon Adeshina Raji-Ashade, of insincerity, saying that they made mere pronouncements with no concrete steps to implement.

Abifarin said that on the routes that members ply, the state-recognised parks and bus stop managers are still collecting the exact amount for dues and other levies.

He said this, among other reasons, informed commercial bus drivers inability to reduce transport fare by 25 per cent as desired by Sanwo-Olu.

The Chairman, Federal Assisted Mass Transit, Abed Achewa, maintained that cutting transport fares by 25 per cent takes much more than just cutting booking fees and ticket levies by 25 per cent. “This is because the park managers collect other fees and levies like loading levies. He nonetheless said that there has been a cut in the state government ticket and bookings.

Achewa claimed that its members did not increase transport fares, especially on the Mile 2 route because many are not willing to pay the increment aside from that there was a scarcity of passengers.

He added that Federal Mass Transit buses when they are available, would charge N200 from Mile 2 to Oshodi, and return leg. But The Guardian findings revealed that it is only off-peak period, and when passengers traffic reduces commuters enjoy the N200 subsidised fair.

“The amount removed is not enough, it is supposed to be much more because they said 25 per cent reduction in transport fare…The state government knows that these park managers are collecting other levies, and dues from commercial drivers, even when it is the state government that came up with the idea of harmonising every levy and fee, by instituting paying for a single ticket daily at the cost of N800, and payable by drivers on all routes, daily. But that is not the case at present. Commercial bus drivers pay all forms of dues and levies and at almost all bus stops.”

The Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of Transport, Bolanle Ogunlola, admitted that the ministry has been inundated with complaints regarding the non-compliance with government directives by commercial bus drivers.

She added that the state government plans to engage the park managers to iron out the issues, noting that state-owned buses have since complied with the directive.

Ogunlola further said that after the engagement, the ministry plans to monitor and ensure strict compliance from this week and present its findings to the governor for appropriate action.