Union Carpets NURTW Over Illegal Motor Parks

The Rivers Drivers Transport Co-operative Union Limited has expressed worry over the activities of the National Union of Road Transport Union (NURTW) for monopolising public roads and setting up illegal motor parks in the state.
The President of the co-operative union, Comrade Benoye Sunday dropped the hint in a chat with our correspondent in his office in Port Harcourt.
Sunday said the menace caused by the NURTW on other road users had been a source of concern that they have now constituted a taskforce to illegally carry out their activities in the name of the Rivers State Government.
According to him, despite the directive by the Governor, Chief Nyesom Wake during a stakeholders meeting on April 14, 2018, directing PHALGA and Obio/Akpor to ensure all illegal motorparks and units were banned, the order has not been heeded.
He opined that their illegal activities have been worrisome and causing public nuisance and untold hardship to members of the co-operative union as they refused to join their union, adding that his members are no longer safe in Port Harcourt and its environs as NURTW hoodlums who claimed to be taskforce harass, maim, drivers and impound vehicles which recently caused the death of one of their members a keke rider who was allegedly stabbed to death by NURTW taskforce along Okporo-Rumuodara route in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area for refusing to pay N1,500 for ticket.
Sunday said NURTW has no right to restrict and obstruct other road users from accessing government facilities and called on the government and the Commissioner of Transport, Ibinabo Michael-West to further call NURTW to order to confine themselves to their jurisdiction and stop using the name of the ministry to perpetrate their illegal activities as they claimed to be enforcing MOT enumeration, stickers and painting order.
He also lamented that his members at slaughter, Woji and Akpajo routes were daily molested and forced to pay N1,500 per keke rider a day, pointing out that the extortion is uncalled for as Government workers do not even pay such tax or levy each day.

Collins Barasimeye