Minibus drivers in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, have barricaded one lane of Murtala Mohammed Highway, preventing the movement of vehicles for alleged extortion ranging from N35,000 to N45,000 for illegal parking, according to the Commissioner of Transport, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham.
The angry drivers moved in a convoy on Thursday, hanging tree branches on their vehicles and chanting, “Commissioner of Transport, stop extorting us; we have families; stop collecting N45,000 for wrong parking; we are picking and dropping drivers and not state-to-state drivers; enough is enough!”
One of the drivers who spoke to journalists simply gave his name as Ekpo lamented that the Transport Commissioner had ordered his men to harass drivers and confiscate their vehicles for stopping to pick up passengers.
“We don’t have where to stand and carry passengers; we are commercial drivers; we are doing pick-up and drop; we are not doing state by state or local government by local government; the Commissioner and his boys expect us to have a specific place to load.
“The Commissioner for Transport sent boys to arrest our minibuses and park them in his office in Waterboard, and you paid N35,000 to N45,000 to get your vehicle released. At times, drivers go home with N1000 or N500 after balancing the owner, so where does he expect us to get money? Should we go and get a loan and give it to the Commissioner for Transport?” Ekpo said.
Another bus driver whose name was not disclosed lamented that every bus driver must register with the Calabar Transport Authority (CRTA), also known as 100 Marian, and he also has to pay the amount of N700 daily for unpainted vehicles and N550 for painted vehicles as a ticket.
However, he urged the state government to create parking lots and bus stops for commercial vehicles if this persists.
When contacted at the time of filing this report, the Commissioner for Transport, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham, said he was already in a meeting with the Transport Union over the issue.
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