Tension in Lagos as govt implements driver/conductor registration policy

COMMERCIAL bus operators in Lagos State have become jittery following the insistence of the state government to go ahead with the implementation of the commercial bus operators/conductors uniform scheme.Chief Vehicle Inspection Officer (VIO) of the state, Afeez Toriola, confirmed to the Nigerian Tribune that implementation of the scheme would commence today and that noncompliant persons would pay a fine of N60,000.Drivers in many parts of the state have, however, threatened to embark on an indefinite strike if the government went ahead with its plan to impound unregistered vehicles, beginning from Tuesday.Under the scheme, which, according to the state government, is part of the traffic law passed into law by the state House of Assembly, drivers and conductors are expected to register with the government and be given badge and uniforms.Many of the drivers who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune, however, claimed to be ignorant of the new policy, noting that they had not been properly enlightened by the necessary agencies.Toriola, while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, said, ' yes, we are going ahead with the implementation from July 1. We have give them six months to register free of charge.The Lagos Chief VIO also stated that the registration for the scheme would attract N27,000 from July 1, after the six-month grace given by the government for free registration.He gave the breakdown of the cost as N20,000 for operational licence, N5,000 for a driver's uniform and N2,000 for a conductor's badge.Toriola, who gave kudos to taxi operators in the state for their compliance, claimed that only 24,986 operators had registered as of Monday morning.
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