World Consumer Rights Day: LASG/CAFON Host Forum On Public Transportation

As part of activities to mark this year’s World Consumer Rights Day on 15 March, 2012, the Lagos State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, custodians of the State’s Consumer Protection Committee, has concluded plans to hold a forum on consumer issues in public transportation.

The forum, which will be held on the platform of the Lagos Consumer Forum organised by the Consumer Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria (CAFON), will evaluate consumer issues ranging from availability and accessibility of public transportation, consumer safety in public transportation, road worthiness of the vehicle, insurance coverage for consumers in public transportation in case of accident, fairness in pricing, the role of government in ensuring that the rights of consumers in public transportation are protected and the rights and responsibilities of consumers in public transportation.

According to the Permanent Secretary, Mr Wale Raji, “As part of our mandate to provide infrastructural development and quality service in public transportation, we are holding this public platform to draw attention to consumer rights and responsibilities in the sector. At the end of this forum, we hope to highlight consumer rights and responsibilities in public transportation in Lagos State with the view to finding lasting solutions to issues affecting consumers in this sector”.

The forum will create an avenue for consumers, service providers, regulators, legal and sector consultants to connect with a view to enlightening, empowering and resolving these issues as much as possible while empowering consumers on how to protect themselves from further exploitation and providing them with options for redress.

The Deputy Governor, Mrs Joke Orelope Adefulire will be Special Guest while the Commissioner for Transport, Mr Kayode Opeifa as well as relevant agencies, private sector service providers, transport unions and regulatory agencies are expected to attend the open forum.

The Forum will hold on Thursday, 15 March, 2012 by 10:00a.m and will be broadcast live on Lagos Television (LTV).

—Henry Ojelu