Operatives of Delta State Police Command, Warri ‘B Division, on Monday morning, disrupted protesting commercial tricycle and vehicle drivers over sale of outrageous haulage tickets in Warri, Delta State.
The police operatives, who arrived at the scene of the protest in two trucks, however, whisked away the leader of the protesters, Mr Innocent Victor for alleged breach of public peace.
The police, as it was later gathered, alleged that the protesters did not take permission before embarking on the protest, which, according to them, breached the public peace.
The commercial tricycle and vehicle drivers had gathered in their park at Estate, Warri, in Warri South Local Government Area to protest the outrageous sales of haulage tickets imposed on them by touts, daily.
They had complained that they were being subjected to buying multiple tickets amid the high cost of premium motor spirit otherwise known as petrol.
The protesters had explained to journalists that they spend about N12000 in purchasing permit tickets in about six local government areas daily and that they were being forced by touts, who claimed to be from the National Union, to pay N1000 for another ticket known as haulage ticket.
This, according to them, is besides the payment of N30,000 annual fee for permit haulage stickers being the reason they had to embark on the peaceful protest.
The protesters, who were chanting “we no go buy oo, we no buy, haulage ticket, we no go buy,” were armed with placards reading: “Excessive tickets, we cannot cope,” “Union Base we say no to haulage ticket,” and Union Base, enough of multiple tickets.”
Addressing journalists, one of the protesters, a bus driver, said: “There are about four tickets we are already buying at the price of N2000, N2500, N3000 daily before they added this haulage ticket about a month ago and they are forcing us to buy for N1000 daily.
“One of the tickets is for Warri which we pay N2000 daily, we have for Uvwie (N2500), Okpe (N2000), once you cross Udu Bridge, another N2000, Otokutu (N2000), Usiefrun N3000.
“If you look at the tickets, the prices written on them are N200, but we are paying the aforementioned prices
“So, if a driver is to ply these local governments and areas on the same day, he ends up paying N11,500 for tickets alone.
“All these tickets I mentioned are from the National Union. In spite of all these payments, they decided to add the haulage ticket.
“Under normal circumstances, we are supposed to buy one National Union ticket and some of those of the local governments.
“Truth is, we are not against buying the national tickets because we have been buying it but the problem is why will they add a haulage ticket of N1000 when we are already paying N30,000 yearly for haulage stickers?
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“We don’t know if the government approved this haulage ticket because we are already buying haulage sticker for N30,000 yearly approved by the local government. So why will they add another haulage ticket to it?
“This haulage ticket came into existence when Delta State had problems with National Union. During that time, they broke out of National Union but National Union won the case in court and the haulage ticket was removed.
“Now, Delta State government is reintroducing this and forcing tricycle drivers and vehicle drivers to pay for it and that is the reason we are here protesting.”
The Manager of Union Base International and a truck driver, Mr Innocent Victor, before he was arrested and whisked away by the police, had, during the protests, said the development has dissuaded drivers at Delta parks in Lagos State from coming to Delta State because of the outrageous haulage ticket they must buy.
“We are supposed to be loading five vehicles a day but we can’t meet up to that because of this ticket issue. The drivers in Lagos go to other places but they don’t like coming to Delta State because of the numerous tickets,” he added.
He called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to intervene in order to cushion the effects of the haulage tickets sales on their families and commuters.
Meanwhile, the arrested leader of the protesters, Mr Victor, has been released from police custody.
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