N800 levy on transporters ill-advised, say Lagos indigenes

The newly imposed levy of N800 daily on all transporters by the Lagos State Government is cruel, ill-advised and patently outrageous, a group of Lagos indigenes under the aegis of Omo Eko Pataki, has observed.

A trustee of the group, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (rtd), described it as a fresh burden on the already suffering people.

Daily Trust reports that the state government on Tuesday signed an agreement for the collection of Informal Transport Sector Levy in order to harmonise dues collected by the government from commercial motorists at parks and garages across the State.

The new system would see each commercial bus driver pay a sum of N800 daily. The government said the new tax system would eliminate multiple taxations as an average commercial bus driver pays as much as N3000 daily as a levy for different agencies.

But major Olanrewaju rejected the move, which he described as additional hardship on the people.