Edo drivers protest, boycott park over high levies

Commercial drivers loading passengers at the Benin Central Park located at Obakhavbaye in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State Tuesday staged a peaceful protest over high levies by the state government.

 The protesting driver lined up their buses on the road, leading to heavy traffic in the area. 

 Speaking on behalf of the drivers, Osaro Ekhioagbon, said prior to the elections, the governor reduced their levies from N1,600 to N800 but barely a week after, the state government returned to the old levies of N1,600.

 “The N1,600 is difficult for us now because drivers using the Central Park hardly run two trips in a day because of the activities of other bus drivers who load passengers along the road yet pay less.” 

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 “Before the election, the governor reduced the levy to N800, and now after the election, the governor is asking us to be paying N1,600. 

 “Those working outside the park are paying N800 while those inside the park are paying N1,600. We cannot afford that because those loading outside the park work are more than us and we hardly load twice a day as passengers preferred those loading along the road.”

 On his part, the President of the Drivers Welfare Empowerment Scheme, Lucky Adeyan Okpowman, said the problem is being addressed by the concerned authority.

 “We are willing to join hands with the state government to make things work but the government should help us to ensure that those loading outside the park are stopped from doing so.