Motorists in Lagos State were, on Monday, thrown into a panicky mood over fears of enforcement of the ban on commercial yellow vehicles popularly called Danfo and Korope after some officials of the Lagos Taskforce seized some commercial vehicles in the Ikeja area of the state.
This is just as the agency said the exercise was a routine activity to curb the excesses of commercial drivers causing traffic on Lagos roads.
Our correspondent, who monitored activities around the Ikeja Under Bridge area, observed that the task force officials dislodged traders who were trading close to the bus stop while vehicles alleged to be obstructing traffic were seized.
The operation however led to a scarcity of vehicles in the area, leaving commuters stranded.
A commercial driver identified as Yakub, expressed fear that the operation might be linked with the ban on Danfo and Korope in some parts of the state.
Yakub said, “They (Task force officials) have been clamping down on commercial vehicles since last week. We learnt that the new chairman gave the order. I heard that the Lagos State Government said they don’t want us to operate as from October 1, maybe that’s why they are clamping down on us.”
Another motorist, Ige Adetunji, urged the government to consider integrating commercial drivers into its transport plans to avoid creating hardship for those who might be affected.
“Since they want to ban Danfo and Korope, they should look for a way to accommodate the drivers that will be affected into the transport system in the state so that they will not be rendered jobless.”
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Lagos Task Force, Raheem Gbadeyanka, in a telephone conversation with PUNCH Metro on Monday, noted that the exercise was a routine one aimed at ensuring the free flow of traffic within the state.
He added that the agency was acting in compliance with its mandate of ensuring that road users were not subjected to unnecessary impediments.
“What we are doing is a routine exercise aimed at ensuring that there are no impediments to traffic on Lagos roads. Those whose vehicles were seized were drivers obstructing traffic flow by picking up passengers at undesignated bus stops.
“It is a continuous exercise at ensuring that Lagos roads are free from traffic. It has nothing to do with the proposed ban on Danfo and Korope because that is not starting until October 1,” Gbadeyanka said.