Motorists Lament Multiple Ticketing, Harassment By Transport Officials

Commercial intracity transporters in Osogbo, Osun State capital, have lamented the harassment by some officials of the state transport management system.

Drivers of commercial mini-buses known as Korope and motorcycle riders (okada) accused the officials of treating them rudely in an attempt to issue tickets to them.

They noted that the officials are more thugs than individuals working for an organised body. 

According to the transporters, the officials were fond of harassing them and their passengers whenever they wanted to give out tickets.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that some of the officials sometimes engaged in physical combat with Okada riders and in the process damaged their motorcycles. 

Findings by the medium revealed that commercial motorcyclists are being issued more than one ticket per day, contrary to the promise of the state government that there would only be a one-way ticket per day. 

It was also gathered that some of the officials harassing the commercial transporters were employed by the local governments and some consultants to issue various tickets to them.

The contracted officials can be seen around the Stadium, Olaiya, Capital, Osograms, and Ataoja areas of Osogbo.  

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, some of the aggrieved motorcyclists urged the state government and Ministry of Transport to call the leadership of the transport management system to order. 

According to them, using thugs to harass people because of tickets is uncivilized. 

An okada rider, Olalekan Ominiyi, said the officials have been making life difficult for the commercial transporters in the state capital because of their extortion and harassment. 

Ominiyi stated that he was a victim of extortion and harassment by the officials, claiming that he was made to pay for a ticket that was not meant for him. 

He said: “It is unfortunate that in this harsh economy, our politicians are still making life difficult for us. The thugs they put on the road to issue tickets are harassing us.

“Sometimes, we would have collected our ticket but these thugs would still ask us to pay for another unnecessary ticket, one that was not meant for us. This is getting unbearable.”

Similarly, a motorist, Olajide Ganiyu, noted that the multiple ticketing is killing them, calling on the state governor to find a solution to it.

He said: “I want to urge the state governor to find a solution to this act of extortion and harassment. It is unfortunate that after getting our tickets from a unit, transport officials in other units will also demand that we pay for another ticket. 

“Things are hard in the country presently, and it will be unfortunate for governments to be adding to our burden. If the state government doesn’t know anything about this, then something must be done to curb this menace.”