By Dipo Olowookere
The leadership of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Jakande, Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State has assured residents and commuters on the Eti-Osa/Lekki-Epe Expressway that there will be no fare increase as a result of the toll review which took effect on Thursday, February 1, 2018.
This is as the union has thrown its full weight behind the development, saying it was consulted before the toll fare was hiked.
The announcement of the toll review at the Admiralty Circle Plaza and the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge Plaza by the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) had caused uproar among road users in the area with some calling on Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to intervene.
But Chairman of NURTW in the area, Mr Taofeek Oluwa, said his members would not increase transport fare in the area.
He said in a statement that it was encouraging that the LCC carried his union along as one of the critical stakeholders consulted during the engagement process for the toll review which resulted in the minimal increase in tariff charged branded commercial buses.
From February 1, branded commercial buses popularly called ‘Danfo’ which previously paid N80 was would be paying N90 for e-Tag payments and N100 for cash payments.
“As long as LCC honours its agreement of our mutual understanding at the stakeholders’ meeting, we can confidently support LCC by assuring that commuters will not suffer any increase in the fare paid to board branded commercial buses coming into or going out of Eti-Osa/Lekki-Epe Expressway. The NURTW is happy to endorse the toll fare review,” Mr Oluwa said.
Corroborated him, another official of NURTW in Jakande Eti-Osa, Mr Quadri Adesokan, said LCC has promised to improve the standards of the roads for the safety of passengers.
“We have heard the concerns of the LCC and have agreed to support them because they have promised us to maintain the roads. A large number of our buses are using the e-tag which affords us unhindered entry and return from Lekki-Epe Expressway,” he said.