Gov’t is only after transportation money, Lagos drivers react to danfo, korope ban

A Lagos commercial driver has condemned the ban placed on the activities of the popular yellow buses known as danfo and korope in some areas by the State government.

According to him, the state government was enticed by the money made by commercial drivers but had not demonstrated the capacity to run a state-owned transportation system.

“The government is enticed by the money in transportation, but they can’t even manage the BRT system efficiently.

“You know what’s funnier? If there would be a protest, it would be started by the agberos and not the drivers themselves. Do you even know how much money people make from transportation in Lagos?” he said.

Relieving his previous experience, the driver said he would not be part of the arrangement to turn the affected drivers into government employees.

“I’d rather sell my bus than take the one from the government.”

Speaking further, he said, “This is because I used to drive one of the BRT buses and the treatment of drivers was terrible. I will never be a part of it.

“You see this ban thing, the drivers will not be the only ones to stay out of jobs, even the agberos, too, because they will not be able to collect their regular taxes from drivers who operate state-owned buses.”

Another driver found under the Lekki/Epe Expressway flyover, stated that the new buses were too expensive for the average driver to afford.

He stated that for people who wouldn’t be able to afford the buses, there were no alternative engagement plans.

“We heard about the ban. There was a meeting with the stakeholders on Saturday, and they said they would be giving us their own buses to drive,” he said.

“But a lot of people won’t be able to afford their buses because they will be too pricey for the average driver to afford.”

On Sunday, the Lagos State Government restated its ban on danfo and korope along the Lekki-Epe Expressway from October 1.

Sola Giwa, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Transportation, said that the initiative was to restructure commercial bus operations in this corridor first before moving to the rest of the state.