Published 19th Jul, 2024

By Opeyemi Lawal

Clement (not real name), a Lagos driver, has condemned the state government’s move to ban the activities of the popular yellow buses known as danfo and korope in some areas.

Clement said the state government was enticed by the money made by commercial drivers but had not demonstrated the capacity to run a state-owned transportation system.

“The government is enticed by the money in transportation, but they can’t even manage the BRT system efficiently,” he said. “You know what’s funnier? If there would be a protest, it would be started by the agberos and not the drivers themselves. Do you even know how much money people make from transportation in Lagos?”

Relieving his previous experience, Clement said he would not be part of the arrangement to turn the affected drivers into government employees.

“I’d rather sell my bus than take the one from the government,” he said.

“This is because I used to drive one of the BRT buses and the treatment of drivers was terrible. I will never be a part of it.”

On Sunday, the Lagos State Government restated its ban on danfo and korope along the Lekki-Epe Expressway from October 1.

Sola Giwa, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Transportation, said that the initiative was to restructure commercial bus operations in this corridor first before moving to the rest of the state.

FIJ spoke with drivers of these buses in the affected area on Tuesday, including Clement, who travels the Ajah-Obalende route with passengers every day.

“They want to take the buses from drivers and start paying them salaries, which is something unfathomable,” Clement said.

Mini-buses under Ajah Bridge
Photo Credit: FIJ

FIJ observed that between the one-hour drive from Ajah under-bridge park to Obalende, about seven different drivers’ union representatives (agberos) accosted Clement for money.

At different times, he handed out N1000, N500 and N200 notes to them. At some point, he refused to give anything, but not without arguments.

He stated that the ban on korope on the Lekki/Ajah Expressway would not only affect the drivers but the agberos on the road would also suffer some of the consequences.

“You see this ban thing, the drivers will not be the only ones to stay out of jobs, even the agberos, too, because they will not be able to collect their regular taxes from drivers who operate state-owned buses,” said Clement.

Matthew (not real name), another driver found under the Lekki/Epe Expressway flyover, told FIJ that the new buses were too expensive for the average driver to afford.

He stated that for people who wouldn’t be able to afford the buses, there were no alternative engagement plans.

“We heard about the ban. There was a meeting with the stakeholders on Saturday, and they said they would be giving us their own buses to drive,” he said.

“But a lot of people won’t be able to afford their buses because they will be too pricey for the average driver to afford.”

Folorunso Adeoye (not real name), another driver, who travels from Ajah to Okun-Ajah daily, told FIJ that while the ban wouldn’t affect him, he thought the state government’s attempt to capture the transportation system was illogical and would push more Nigerians into suffering.

Adeoye admitted that some drivers were chaotic on that route but said taking them off the road was not the way to address the situation.

“Everyone knows that the drivers running the bus corridors are chaotic. They are guilty of all traffic offences, such as double parking, but taking them off the road is not the way to go,” he said.

“This policy will only push more people out of their jobs. This will breed a calamity because the people who were riding okada and were banned moved to Keke Napep [tricycles]. These Keke Napep were restricted to some parts of the state, and some of them advanced to korope. Now the korope is about to be taken off the expressway. How do they intend for these people to survive?”

Names were changed to protect sources.

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5 replies on “‘Gov’t Is Enticed by Transportation Money’ — Lagos Drivers React to Danfo, Korope Ban”

A sincere government will provide atmosphere for business competition, not outright ban on any. Let the government provide new and cheap buses to phased out the current ones by making them very affordable to passengers, for instance, if the so-called korope are charging 500 naira from ajah to cms, let the government own charge 100 naira. In a matter of days all the current old buses would be frustrated out the roads because no one accept that low to take anyone to such destination. I can’t imagine the kind of suffering the masses are going to go through when that time comes. Instead of addressing the menace of agberos with their broad daylight robberies, they are bent on rendering hard working Nigerians out of job.

Pls banding korope isn’t much but I will advice to give them a new transport car that they can use to work for there daily bread

Nigerians have never have a good government that really cares for the people but only themselves where they can make money to loot it’s quite unfortunate

And the government will cry foul when insecurity surges. Lagos State government does not want posterity for motoring lagosians, every ease on the lagos roads are either blocked or removed. Employing the services of touts to lure innocent victims into criminality.

A government that legitimately earn the votes of the people will not dish out anti-people policies.
The local madness being nursed in Lagos has now become national pandemic.

Empty barrels makes loudest noise, Tinubu and his minions

The idea to ban danfo and korope buses will be the greatest gift the Lagos State will ever give to lagosian, this people are lawless, reckless, rough, useless, beat traffic lights, park on the road to pick passengers refusing to use the designated bus stop, blocking entrance of roads to pick passengers, they are maf people that needs psychological treatment.