‎Lagos: Commuters stranded as commercial bus drivers strike over alleged extortion

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Commercial bus

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‎By Rosemary Iwunze

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‎Commuters plying the Iyana-Ipaja/Iyana-Iba axis of Lagos are currently stranded as commercial bus drivers operating along the route embarked on a strike over alleged extortion by law enforcement and transport regulatory agencies.

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‎Vanguard investigation revealed that the drivers were protesting alleged incessant extortion by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA; the Police; the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC; and members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, popularly known as agbero.

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‎Some of the commercial bus drivers who spoke with Vanguard lamented that the alleged extortion had continued to increase daily, describing the situation as unbearable.

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‎According to them, LASTMA officials frequently impound their vehicles and keep them for an entire day, thereby depriving the owners and drivers of their daily income.

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‎The drivers said the development had made it increasingly difficult for them to operate profitably, forcing them to resort to industrial action to draw attention to their grievances.

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