Police Sack Bus Drivers, Take Over Park

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The police in Ikotun in Alimosho Local Government Area Lagos State Southwest Nigeria yesterday sacked bus drivers from the illegal park to ease traffic congestion.

P.M.NEWS investigation revealed that residents of the area having been going through hell because of the activities of the drivers.

At least 30 police officers led by the Divisional Police Officer, C S P Akika, stormed the illegal park and prevented the buses from picking passengers on the roads the drivers turned into parks.

The most affected areas are the popular Ikotun roundabout which links the major streets in Ikotun and its environs.

The bus drivers had turned the streets into parks over the years thereby causing heavy traffic jam, especially along Egbe and Egbeda roads.

Though commuters were stranded after the bus drivers were chased away, they welcomed the development.

It was learnt that the police had invited the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, the umbrella union of bus drivers, and advised them to warn their members to desist from picking passengers on the roads, especially the roundabout. The union ignored the police order.

The park provided for buses in the market was later converted to shops after it was abandoned by the union.

Following the police action, the NURTW members started protesting and ordered their members to withdraw their buses from the roads. This swelled the number of passengers at the BRT bus stop at Ikotun.

—Cyriacus Izuekwe

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