Chukwudike Ndubeze, Awka
Transporters in Anambra State have expressed anguish over what they described as the insensitivity of government towards the plight of commercial drivers and transporters in the state.
Their feelings were made known at a meeting organised by Civil Rights Concern (CRC), a non-governmental organization, held in collaboration with Anambra State Ministry of Transport, in Awka, the state capital, Wednesday.
Enumerating their challenges of operating transport business in the state, the leaders of various transport unions, including Tipper, Taxis, and the Urban Bus Drivers spoke extensively against indiscriminate charges in the system and how it has affected their means of livelihood.
The unions regretted that Government had not deemed it necessary to build quality roads, and other amenities that would add value to the well being of commercial drivers in the state despite contributing hugely to the state’s internally generated revenue.
Although the unions acknowledged Governor Soludo’s declaration of war on road touts and hoodlums on the state roads, they still could not hide their feelings over the activities of ticket racketeers who, they said, go about imposing illegal levies on drivers plying various routes in the state.
They, however, called for a more unified approach to collecting levy, revenues for all levy payable by transporters in the state, stating it will help eradicate extortion, and increase revenue for the state.
Speaking at the forum, the PRO, Tippers Drivers in Anambra State, Deacon Ozoemene Okoye, decried multiple levies on his men on daily basis, coupled with their loading and offloading charges.
He said the state of insecurity in the state and South-East in general, had often pitched them against dare-devil criminals who, he said, extort money from them at gun points.
Similarly, the Secretary, Urban Drivers Welfare Association, Anambra State (UDWAAS), Mr Ifeanyi Ogbonna, said that his men “pay N25,000 for vehicle license as against N6,000 paid by colleagues in Ebonyi State.”
He complained bitterly against continued poor drivers’ welfare in the state, citing lack of affordable driving schools, loan facilities for drivers, high cost of particulars, and poor health facilities for drivers in the state.
In the same vein, the Secretary Taxi Drivers Union, Mr Arinze Chijindu, expressed worry over the excessive traffic congestion on roads in Awka town, particularly, market roads and the three flyovers that sit along the Enugu-Onitsha expressway, despite presence of uniformed men at those spots.
He said the congestions “have devastating effects on drivers and make transporting difficult” in the state.
Reacting, Head of Training, Anambra Transport Management Agency, ATMA, Mr. Obinna Okeke, attributed congestions in the state capital to stubbornness of drivers.
He said drivers often misused bus stop as loading parks, thereby blocking free flow of vehicles on the road.
Speaking also, the Head of Department, HoD, Transport Operations, Anambra Ministry of Transport, Christopher Okeke, said the Ministry had outlined intervention programmes to restore ease of transportation in the state.
He said the State was ready to set up committees to tackle some of the raised issues and to implement some of the ones that had already been proposed in the budget.
Okeke who said the Ministry would synergize with the Anambra State internal Revenue Service, AIRS, to harmonize and put to rest activities of fake revenue collectors on the highways, also blamed greed of intermediaries for the high price of vehicle license.
He said, “the price for obtaining license is relatively cheap at between 6,000 to 10,000 but car owners and drivers prefer to patronize intermediaries so as to avoid the stress. They add their charge and people go about with information that it is expensive.”
Meanwhile, the Executive Director Civil Rights Concern (CRC), Mr Okey Onyeka, said the forum was organized to create an interface between drivers who are the key players in the state’s transport industry and the government to deliberate on the challenges of transportation business in the state.
According to him “Questions and responses from the Government are quite relevant issues in the management of social economy.”
“People who are working in various livelihood are facing serious challenges in their battle to survive on a daily basis; given the problems they have enumerated. Once these measures are taken and addressed, there is going to be improvement in people’s livelihood especially in the transport sector.”
