Commuters groan as the peaceful protest by Commercial Taxis and Bus Owners in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State, capital against alleged harassment of Rivers State government taskforce on street trading, illegal market and illegal motor parks entered its second day.
The commercial drivers mostly affected are those who ply the Rumuola-Mgbuoba-Choba route.
The genesis of the problem is the task force officials, led by its Chairman, Bright Amaewhule, enforcing the directive that commercial drivers should drop off their passengers at a designated motor park opposite the Peace Mass Transit Park in Rumuola.
However, the taxi cab owners are insisting that the newly designated park is too far from the popular terminal point at Rumuola junction for commuters and motorists.
They complain of physical assault on them and wilful vandalization of the Vehicles by members who use dangerous weapons like, cutlass, axe and wooden sticks.
In his reaction, the Chairman of the Taskforce, Bright Amaewhule, denied that Taskforce officials use dangerous weapons on the commercial vehicle owners and neither do they vandalize their vehicles, but insisted that there is no stopping the enforcement of mandate clearing public places of illegal motor parks, illegal street trading and illegal markets.
Meanwhile, Lekia Isaac, the Spokesman of Commercial Drivers in the state threatened the if the maltreatment of commercial vehicles owners continued unabated without the state government calling the taskforce officials to order, commercial transporters in the state will be forced to start a statewide strike soon to draw attention of Governor Nyesom Wike to the inhuman treatment and obnoxious policy of the taskforce officials.
Recall that last year, taxi drivers plying Rumuokwuta-Choba route in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State raised the same alarm over what they described as illegal extortion by officials of the Task Force on Street Trading and Illegal Motor Parks.
The taxi drivers alleged that the officials of the taskforce assigned to Rumuokwuta/Choba route have deviated from their primary official assignment of ensuring sanity on the road and were now engaging in illegal extortion of money from drivers.
Speaking to newsmen, a taxi driver plying Rumuokwuta/Choba route, Mr. Jide Akande, narrated his ordeal in the hands of a task force official who allegedly jumped into his taxi cab demanding for N1,500 as gratification just to allow him load his passengers anywhere.
He also alleged that the official threatened to arrest him if he refused to comply.
He commended the state governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, for the initiative, noting that the exercise had improved the flow of traffic in almost all the routes in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
He advised the task force to operate with human face, while also engaging in regular dialogue and consultations with stakeholders to resolve issues.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the task force Hon. Bright Amaehule, had condemned the action of some of his members and warned that anyone caught in shady deals would be dealt with.
