TheCable

The Lagos government has cautioned commercial drivers against increasing transportation fares in the state following the introduction of the N800 daily levy.

On Tuesday, the state government and transport stakeholders signed an agreement on harmonised dues.

Rabiu Olowo, commissioner for finance, said the levy was pegged at a flat rate of N800, which will be paid by commercial motorists on a daily basis effective from February 1.

Olowo said the N800 covers the local government levy and the fee for waste clearing at motor parks, which is paid to the ministry of transportation, Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), and Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).

The move had elicited different reactions from residents, with many saying commuters would be bear the brunt as transport fares may increase.

According to The PUNCH, Gbenga Omotoso, commissioner for information and strategy, said any move to increase transportation fare by the drivers is “mischievous”.

Omotosho was quoted as saying the levy is to “protect” commercial motorists from paying multiple charges to different LGAs when plying various routes in the state and that the levy should not warrant an increment in transport fare.

“What we are doing is to ensure that drivers and passengers are protected. If the driver takes up from Badagry, for example, and he is going to Lagos Island, between the two ends, there are about three to four local government areas, and he has to pay some money at each local government,” The Punch quoted Omotosho as saying.

“What the Lagos state government is now doing is to harmonise the whole thing and ensure that once you collect a ticket from the take-off point, you don’t need to collect another ticket from anywhere. So once the money is collected, the local governments are going to get their share there.

“There shouldn’t be (any increase). Any driver that wants to increase the fare because he has to pay N800 instead of N3,000 is being mischievous. That is why the unions are involved so that drivers won’t complain that they are paying N800 more.”