Scores of Tricyclists in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, have staged a peaceful protest over hike in their licence fees.
DAILY POST reports that the protest led to the drivers withdrawing their services, refusing to ply the major road from Takie to the Egbeda area of the city.
Our correspondent gathered that this made many commuters plying the road stranded and frustrated.
A tricyclist, Mr. Mukaila Oyelami, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said that they usually pay N700 daily to the Oyo State Government.
He however said that the fees has been increased to N1,000.
The fees, according to him comprises two tickets, one for Oyo State Daily Ticket Scheme codenamed “ALGON ticket” and the other one known as “Terminal Ticket”.
Oyelami said a meeting was held on Wednesday with the Ogbomoso Park Committee where the decision to raise the charge to N1,000 was announced.
He said the tricyclists have asked the Soun of Ogbomoso to intervene on the matter.
“Normally, we pay N700 every day and still pay N200 to LAUTECH at the park. It was yesterday that the park chairman now called all of us, telling us that we’ll now be paying N1,000 daily,” he said.
But the Park Chairman, Hammed Alao, while reacting, said that the decision to increase the fees from N700 to N1,000 was not borne out of wickedness against the drivers.
According to him, the fees was increased due to the increase in the prices of goods and services in the country.
Alao added that it had been decided by the Soun of Ogbomoso that the new revenue charge should start from January, 2025.
“But I have told them before that the ticket payment will increase since February 2024 when the state government brought ALGON ticket, in addition to the previous ticket, making it two. They pleaded that time too.”