Drivers Decry Multiple Taxation Calls For Govt’s Action

Commercial drivers in the state have lamented that the new unified taxation system introduced by the Rivers State Board of Internal Revenue (RIRS) to harmonise all taxes and eliminate multiple taxation, has failed. The drivers say they are forced to pay for other tickets and fees by union, agencies, association and community, in addition to the RIRS unified tax.
The drivers said that they earlier welcomed the introduction of the new unified taxation system with open hands, believing that it would solve the problem of multiple taxation bedeviling the road transport sector, adding that it has rather added more financial burden on their daily return.
They urged the government to review the new tax regime to affordable rate that would enable them meet up their daily return, stressing that the old system of paying tickets were better off.
The Tide correspondent who visited Nkpolu Oroworukwo (Mile 3) Motor Park, Rumuokoro and Eliozu Park, reported that drivers are still made to pay tickets for the maintenance of park and fees for loading of passengers.
Some of the drivers who spoke to The Tide, expressed anger over the multiple payments.
A commercial bus driver who plies Mile 3-Choba route, John Ibekwe, said: “we to buy government ticket at N400, buy the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) ticket at N200 for what they called park maintenance, then you arrived at Choba park you pay another N300. This is worrisome and you complain, government will say it is one ticket, while the union will insist on collecting their money and government is not doing anything to protect the interest of the commercial bus drivers on this route, rather they are after their own N400 taxi ticket”.
A taxi driver, Peter Udoka, said “I am very angry, we embraced the government unified tax regime thinking we are safe, not knowing that we are putting ourselves in financial trouble. I drive taxi and I buy tickets worth N900 every day, couple with the government ticket”.
Also speaking, Chinedu Ogumka, noted “government said we should buy one ticket which is N300, but on top of that we buy additional National Union of Road Transport Workers N100 ticket. That suppose not to be so, let us know the one we are following, it is unfortunate that government cannot control what it has started, rather they are after their N300, leaving us in the dark to keep on clashing with the other agencies and unions”
A driver who plies Eliozu to Eleme junction, Batam Bari said “as we pay for ticket here at Eliozu, we will also pay at Eleme junction, which is not fair and in a day the amount I pay is up to N1000 to government, touts, union, community and others, you can see what we are passing through”.
Effort to speak with the NURTW officials proved abortive.