TheCable

The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) says the Lekki toll review which goes into effect February 1 will not affect transport fare.

Taofeek Oluwa, chairman, NURTW Eti-Osa, made the disclosure on Wednesday in a press statement signed by Olusola Asorobaja, the union’s media officer.

The Lekki Concession Company Limited (LCC) had on January 25 announced a toll hike for motorists plying Lekki toll gate and Ikoyi Link Bridge.

The LCC had said the “toll fare increase is as a result of current economic and business realities that have adversely increased the cost of operations and maintenance of the company’s loan obligations”.

Reassuring motorists plying the Lekki-Epe corridor, the NURTW chairman said there’s no plan to jack up fares.

According to Oluwa, “it was encouraging that LCC carried the union along as one of the critical stakeholders consulted during the engagement process for the toll review”.

He said the review resulted in “minimal increase in tariff charged branded commercial buses”.

“From February 1, branded commercial buses popularly called ‘Danfo’ which previously paid N80.00 would be paying N90.00 (Ninety Naira) for e-Tag payments and N100.00 (One Hundred Naira) for cash payments,” he said.

“As long as LCC honours its agreement of our mutual understanding at the stakeholders’ meeting, we can confidently support LCC by assuring that commuters will not suffer any increase in the fare paid to board branded commercial buses coming into or going out of Eti-Osa/Lekki-Epe Expressway.

“The NURTW is happy to endorse the toll fare review.”