NURTW, RTEAN Condemn Taxi Drivers’ Protest

The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW)and its sister union, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), have jointly condemned and dissociated themselves from the two-day protest embarked upon by taxi drivers plying Rumuola-Rumuokwuta-Choba route.
The two unions vowed to suspend the drivers who masterminded the two-day protest against the state government’s policy on decongesting Port Harcourt roads.
The Tide reports that the taxi drivers staged a two-day peaceful protest last Monday against their relocation to Rumuola Park, opposite Peace Mass Transit Company.
The NURTW chairman, Rumuola Branch, Julius Uzoma, who spoke to newsmen, said the union did not approve or support any protest embarked upon by taxi drivers.
According to him: “We advised them not to embark on that protest; if there is any need to embark on any peaceful protest or demonstration, we will pass through the normal procedure and dialogue before taking action. Therefore, those drivers that joined the protest will receive the punishment they deserve from the union angle, which is not limited to suspending them from loading from the authorised park and unit as approved by the state government.
“I want to dissociate my branch, NURTW, Rumuola Motor Park branch, from any strike or protest against the relocation of taxis to Rumuola Motor Park”.
Similarly, the Public Relations Officer of RTEAM, Mr Albert, condemned the action of the drivers and also dissociated the body from the protest, saying the taxi drivers who staged the protest acted wrongly.