Staff of franchise companies operating the ubiquitous red buses in Lagos State otherwise known as LAGBUS embarked on strike to protest the decision of the Lagos State Government banning them from plying the Ikorodu corridor which they considered a lucrative route.
The strike shut down parts of Lagos as many commuters were stranded. The BRT buses in operation proved inadequate for commuters many of whom reported late to work.
The ban of all the Red Buses was announced on Friday by the acting Commissioner for Transportation, Prince Anofiu Elegushi . According to him, the restriction was to herald the introduction of Intelligent Traffic System along the BRT corridor, adding that all other franchises, apart from the BRT (blue buses) had to relocate from the corridor.
Other commercial vehicles especially the yellow buses took advantage of the situation to hike their fares on the Ikorodu route.
Mr. Dayo Oni, a Lawyer, standing in for the LAGBUS drivers said they reject the order by the Lagos State government describing it as “anti-people and capable of running millions of investments aground”.
“Some of this BRT franchise transport operators have taken loans running into hundreds of millions of naira. This anti-investment directive is now crippling business and would render thousands jobless. If you add to that the inconvenience this will cause to millions of Lagos commuters who daily depend on the buses, what you have is chaos.
We hereby call on Government to create a level playing ground that will favour competitive pricing among various operators. This will give commuters an opportunity to exercise their right to choice,” he said.
Though Oni did not expressly say it but his tone hints of an impending legal battle if the decision is not rescinded.
