Lagos NURTW Ban Latest: "...no going back" - LSG | "...we will comply with the law" - NURTW

The Lagos State Government has said that there is no going back on the prohibition of activities of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, members in bus stops and parks, just as the state government gave a 90-day grace to commercial transport operators in the state to re-register their vehicles.

Disclosing this at a meeting held at Alausa, Ikeja, with the executives of the NURTW, Road Transport Association in Nigeria RTEAN, Motor Cycle Operators Association of Lagos State MOALS, and All Nigerian Auto Bike Commercial Owners and workers Association ANACOWA, the State Commissioner for Transportation Mr. Kayode Opeifa, said the government recognised the need for operators to organise themselves into union but government will not allow members of the unions to collect money from operators on the high way.

Opeifa noted that government will create a new data base to aid easy identification of each owner of the vehicle, driver as well the vehicle conductor, urging the union executive to take full charge of the motor parks rather than convert bus stops into Motor Park thereby constituting traffic gridlock on the roads.

“We recognise the right to organise yourself into union, whatever obligation in terms of dues union members owe should be collected but the way it is collected is what should not continue”, he said.

In his response, the Lagos State Chairman of NURTW, Mr. Tajudeen Agbede appealed to the government to help them recover some of the parks that have been converted for other uses so as to enable them stay off the road, noting that its members will comply with the law.

On his part, Chairman of MOALS Mr. Tijan Pekis, pleaded for an authorization to enable them compel members to comply with the new Road Traffic Law as it affects its members.

He noted that law enforcement agencies hinder them from taking disciplinary action on members, adding “in most cases, they say we are not the enforcement arm of the law, if we are given the full government backing, you will find out that we would take charge and ensure members comply with the dictates of the law”.