Pascal Oparada
Tricycle operators plying Ogba/Adeniyi Jones/Opebi axis in Ikeja have cried out over what they call heavy extortion by men of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA).
The operators who were seen bearing placards with various inscriptions say they pay as much as N2,500 for minor traffic infractions which ordinarily should be handled with either a warning or a little amount of fines.
Jerry Uko, one of the protesters, told The Nigerian Xpress that they don’t make enough money due to the extortion by LASTMA officials.
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“Can you imagine they park you for the minutest offence and ask you to pay nothing less than N2,500. In most of the cases, they don’t even take you to their office. They stay by the roadside, extort the money and share it among themselves,” Uko said.
“Because of this most of our members don’t meet up with their weekly deliveries to the owners of the tricycles. Some have lost their tricycles because they couldn’t meet up. And this because after paying this amount to LASTMA, we have nothing left to give to the owners,” he said.
One of the operators who identified himself as Michael accused LASTMA officials of using them to enrich themselves. He said he has it in good authority that he officials are in contributory fund association where they pay as much as N10,000 weekly.
“This is what they use us for. We have become cash cows whom they milk for their illicit purposes,” he said.
The operators blocked a side of the Adeniyi Jones/Aromire junction area of Ikeja on Wednesday.
This has led to traffic snarl along that axis.
No LASTMA official was in sight at the scene of the protest as at the time of this report.