‘Ogbete Traffic Disruption Not Protest Over Taxes, Fuel Prices’

Commercial drivers and tricycle operators in Enugu State have dispelled rumours that they staged a protest over taxes and fuel price hike.

According to them, the temporary disruption of traffic around the Ogbete Main Market axis was caused by a misunderstanding over the enforcement and allocation of loading spaces.

This is also because they have thrown their weight behind the state government’s ongoing efforts to relocate commercial vehicles from roadsides to designated transport terminals.

The transport operators, who spoke at a meeting with officials of the Enugu East Zone Terminals, said reports attributing the incident primarily to opposition to taxation and rising fuel prices did not reflect the circumstances that led to the disruption.

Speaking at the meeting,  a representative of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) covering the Obiagu and New Haven branches, Comrade Obi Okonkwo, said the unions had no objection to the government’s decision to move commercial vehicles off the roads and into designated terminals.

According to him, the disagreement arose from the manner in which the enforcement was carried out, particularly the failure to show some operators their allocated spaces within the terminals.

“We have no problem with the government’s decision to decongest the roads and move us into the terminals. Our concern was simply that the enforcement team should carry us along and show our members where they were expected to load,” Okonkwo said.

He urged the public to disregard narratives suggesting that the transport unions were opposed to the administration’s transport reforms.

Similarly, Comrade Chinonso Michael, who represented operators on the Obiagu-New Market route, attributed the misunderstanding to inadequate communication between the enforcement team and transport operators.

“Right from the beginning, we were not against the decision to move us from the roadsides into the terminals. We only wanted to be properly carried along by the enforcement team,” he said.

Also speaking, a national representative of the union in the state, Comrade Achi Ikechukwu, said the incident could have been avoided through better communication, adding that the unions were prepared to work with the terminal management to ensure compliance.

He called for the establishment of a liaison committee between the transport unions and terminal management to address operational concerns and facilitate the transition from roadside loading to the designated facilities.

The Chairman of the tricycle operators, Comrade Kingsley Edeh, also rejected the claim that the incident was primarily a protest against taxation.

Edeh said the operators had continued to pay their statutory levies, adding that their immediate concern was the availability and allocation of suitable loading spaces within the terminals.

He appealed to the terminal management to ensure that operators were given appropriate spaces, while assuring that his members would cooperate with the government’s efforts to reorganise commercial transportation in the metropolis.

Edeh commended the government’s decision to establish the terminals, saying the initiative could help address the longstanding problem of traffic congestion and roadside loading in the city.

Responding, the Managing Director of Enugu East Zone Terminals, Dr John Egbo, assured the transport unions of continued engagement and cooperation.

Egbo said the terminals were conceived as part of the state government’s effort to address traffic congestion around major commercial centres and create an organised transportation system.

He led representatives of the unions to their designated loading areas within the terminal, explaining that the facilities were intended to serve both transport operators and commuters.

According to him, the terminals would reduce roadside congestion, improve the movement of vehicles and passengers and create a more orderly environment around the city’s commercial centres.

The Commissioner for Transport, Dr Obi Ozor, who inspected the facility, commended the terminal management for the organisation of the facility and urged transport operators to work with the government to ensure the success of the initiative.

Ozor said the terminals formed part of the administration’s broader effort to address longstanding traffic challenges around Ogbete Main Market, Old Park and other commercial areas of Enugu metropolis.

He said the policy was also intended to improve security and restore order around major markets and transport corridors.

On the taxation controversy, the commissioner said the state government had undertaken reforms to simplify revenue collection and reduce multiple collection points, arguing that an efficient revenue system was necessary to support public infrastructure and services.

He urged transport operators and other stakeholders to engage with the government through dialogue whenever operational challenges arose, rather than resorting to actions that could disrupt traffic and economic activities.

The stakeholders subsequently expressed readiness to continue discussions on the use of the terminals and work towards a smooth transition of commercial vehicles from roadside loading points to designated parks.

The development comes as the Enugu State Government intensifies efforts to enforce the use of designated transport facilities, a policy that has been applauded by many residents.