Lagos commuters stranded as bus drivers protest alleged extortion by police, LASTMA, others

Commuters travelling along the Iyana-Ipaja/Iyana-Iba axis of Lagos have been left stranded following a strike by commercial bus drivers protesting alleged extortion by law enforcement and transport regulatory agencies.

The drivers, according to findings, stopped operations along the route over what they described as persistent and increasing demands for money by officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, the Police, the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, and members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, popularly known as agbero.

Some of the affected drivers who spoke with journalists expressed frustration over the alleged daily extortion, describing the situation as increasingly unbearable for commercial transport operators.

The drivers alleged that LASTMA officials regularly impounded their vehicles over various infractions and sometimes kept them for the entire day, resulting in significant losses for both vehicle owners and drivers.

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According to them, such actions have continued to undermine their ability to make a profit, as the loss of operating hours translates directly into reduced daily earnings.

The drivers said they decided to withdraw their services as a way of drawing attention to their grievances and compelling the relevant authorities to address what they described as the persistent extortion affecting their operations.