FCTA, Drivers Head For Showdown Over Mini Bus Feeder Route
As the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) commences the enforcement of the new transport policy restricting the operation of mini-bus services to feeder routes, the administration may be heading for a collision with operators in the sub-sector who have vowed that the policy would not see the light of day.
Operators, under the auspices of Owners and Drivers of Mini-bus Town Service Association in the (FCT) say they will resist the new policy, which they described as “anti-masses and would introduce large scale hardship to the drivers and the commuters who use them,” and called on the FCT minister to make a detour and review the policy to have a human face, adding that they had instituted a suit at the FCT High Court with suit N0. CV/1340/12, challenging the policy.
This is just as the association has denied knowledge of the N1billion subsidy arrangement bandied by the administration to cushion the effect of the new policy when it comes on stream as earlier disclosed by the transport secretariat, in August 2012.
Recall that the FCT administration, through its Transportation Secretariat had announced the introduction of a new transport policy which would restrict operations of mini-buses to feeder routes. The secretariat said the feeder routes mini bus transportation service was incorporated in the Operator’s License Scheme of the FCT administration launched in May 2011.
But the Secretary of the association, Prince Charles Ikwuegbu, while addressing the press on the proposed policy, said, “We will resist this inhuman policy within the ambit of the law, if the administration insists on carrying out the policy.
“It is highly regrettable that the proponents of the new law/policy which is billed to come into operation on January 14, 2013 never for a moment pondered on the hardship, suffering and inconveniencies their ill-digested policy would unleash on the bus operators and toiling masses of this city.”
The association also probed the rationale behind the decision, which it noted would make most of its over 30,000 members jobless at a time the country is battling challenges of unemployment and seeking to improve on the employment ratio, noting that the FCT administration recently requested drivers and owners of buses to key into registered operations of their choice by painting their buses in prescribed colours and doing a data capture of their members, in a move the administration said was to streamline and smoothen bus operations in the city.
Ikwuegbo noted that members of the association are Nigerians who through hard work created a source of earning to live a decent and civil life and wondered why they should be rewarded with such fate, despite the challenges of unemployment, corruption, crime and insecurity, which had become the bane of the society.
“It is difficult to understand why the FCT transport department overlooked this situation and wants to create more hardship and destroy families by imposing this faceless, iniquitous and obnoxious transport policy.
“The execution and implementation of this obnoxious policy will render thousands of bus owners, drivers and conductors and their families jobless. It our opinion that allowing this anti-people decision to stand will surely pitch the people against the government for the reason that many will be impoverished as both bus owners and drivers will be out of business with its attendant social consequences.”
The association however said it was willing to resolve the matter peacefully if the FCT administration shows the same willingness by reversing the policy in the interest of the public.
No comments:
Post a Comment