Korope drivers protest hike in revenue charges in Ogbomoso
Enoch OYEDIBU
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Transit bus drivers (otherwise known as korope) in Ogbomoso, Oyo state, have protested against a recent hike in daily revenue charges.
The protest which took place Thursday, led to the drivers withdrawing their services thereby refusing to ply the major road from Takie to Egbeda areas of the city, leading to frustration among commuters.
According to a bus driver, Mukaila Oyelami, aka Baba Chelsea, transit drivers pay N700 daily as a revenue charge to the Oyo state government.
The revenue charge comprises two tickets: Oyo State Daily Ticket Scheme codenamed “ALGON ticket” and “Terminal Ticket”.
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Oyelami informed a meeting was held on Wednesday with the Ogbomoso Park Committee, during which the decision to raise the charge to N1000 was announced, with the excuse that things are costly.
The drivers said they’re protesting the hike in charge, lamenting things have become difficult for them too considering cost of fuel and inadequate commuters along the road.
“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 N1000 daily. We’re protesting to say no.”
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Mukaila said the pool of striking drivers have visited the palace of the Ogbomoso monarch, Ọbá Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, the Soun, who was said to have demanded the drivers continue with the previous revenue rate.
The park chairman, Comrade Hammed Alao, said that the decision to increase the revenue rate from N700 to N1000 was not out of wickedness against the drivers but that that’s the reality.
Comrade Alao.explained the N700 rate covers two tickets, settlement of security agencies and remittance to the state government adding that in view of the high cost of things, the N700, after consideration, is no longer feasible. “This is the reason behind the increment,” he said.
“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.”
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The chairman said it had been decided by the Soun of Ogbomoso that the new revenue charge should start from January, 2025.
Attempts to get in touch with one of the Oyo state Internal revenue officials in Ogbomoso, met with futility. One of the officials, Mr. Sunday Fabode said he didn’t know anything about it.
Worthy of note, the N700 revenue was just increased in February from the initial N300 revenue charge daily.
