Guardian

WITH effect from June 3, 2013 commercial buses, popularly known as araba, will cease to ply major roads in the Federal Territory. Their operations will be limited to satellite towns and adjourning roads where they are expected to source passengers for long buses.

The decision of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administrators to bring sanity to the road by sacking small buses was not kindly received. Various groups who benefit from the activities of the mini buses took their protests to various quarters with a view to stalling the decision of FCT government.

Leadership of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) took its agitation to the National Assembly and prayed lawmakers to reverse the order considering its socio-economic implications on them and their dependants.

Although Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Smart Adeyemi, prevailed on FCT government to temporarily stall the order to allow for further dialogue with the association, he emphasised the need for discipline on the road, a rule that mini bus drivers were accused of constantly violating. Adeyemi blamed the deadlock on lack of communication between FCT and drivers’ body.

With less than three weeks to go, the public is not only apprehensive but also very skeptical about the success of such decision on the ground that passengers may overwhelm the long buses during rush hours.

Even with the acclaimed successful dialogue between the two parties - NURTW and FCT, bus drivers have vowed to reject any attempt to marginalise or intimidate them.

Peter Igbuneweka, a bus operator who spoke to The Guardian alleged that the move was politically motivated to boost the business of long buses’ owners some of who are leaders of NURTW.

He said that on the wake of the protest that greeted increase of fuel pump prize in January 2012, government contracted some of the long buses that were provided as palliative to the leadership of NURTW.

“Unfortunately for both parties, the drivers could not deliver on daily sum as most people preferr mini buses. So, they are losing out because we are in control of the business and that is the reason they want us out of the road.

“But the policy will not work. It is trial by error. How can government just get up one morning and decide on a policy. Up till now, we cannot see enough of the so-called long buses on the road. You can imagine the kind of chaos that will be on the road every morning and evening when they finally chase us out”, he said.

Most Abuja residents, especially those who patronise public transportation have also expressed worries that in the face of escalated social vices and security challenges experienced in the country, rendering mini bus drivers jobless would not only worsen the plight of commuters but equally pose security risk to the city dwellers.

“In a situation where they are all restricted to adjourning roads, most of them would be out of job and the situation may heighten the already experienced security challenges”, said a commuter.

Chris Nwawuru is a bus operator. He blamed the media partially for not giving the issue the seriousness it deserves in their reportage. According to him, he is not opposed to the move but mini bus drivers should have been carried along in the planning.

He said: “Before introducing high capacity buses, they ought to have recapitalised by buying back all the mini buses and pay the drivers.

“Why did they not buy back our buses and pay us? And if any of us is ready to drive their long bus, he will apply. Most of us don’t know the route they are sending us. They expect us to go to the bushes to source passengers for them, their vehicles forbid bad roads. It is our buses that are good for the bush.

“I told them at our Secretariat that they betrayed us. But we are waiting to see when they will push us out and we will see what comes of some of the long buses that belong to NURTW leadership. They have taken their own share from the government and sold us out”, he said.

Nwahuru said that most of their members invested heavily in the long buses and are hiding behind government’s decision to push their members off business.

“Immediately we are out of the road, they will increase their fares; we are the ones checkmating them. I don’t pray that they don’t implement the policy come June 3 but I tell you, they will regret it.

“This policy may breed a group more dangerous than Boko Haram because a bus feeds about eight people daily and immediately we are pushed out, insecurity would increase in FCT. Government will not heed this call to rethink but when the consequences begin, they will begin to call for dialogue”.

Another driver described the move as an abuse of power. “They cannot just do things like this without proper planning. If they want to introduce a different kind of transportation in Abuja, they ought to have brought the buses first and co-opt those of us that are interested.

“Rather than tackle insecurity, their priority is to push us out but they will face the consequence because a hungry man is an angry man. I am godly, if I find life difficult, I can decide to go back to my village but there are people who cannot take it lightly. Some people will do anything available to survive”, he said.

With less than three weeks to the deadline, both FCT government and mini bus operators are ready for a show down. The aggrieved drivers have vowed to vent their frustration on long buses while the FCT maintains that a compromise was reached with the leadership of drivers’ body.

However, the truth of the matter is that except caution is applied, especially by FCT administrators in dealing with the issue, it might end up being a case of an old adage, which states that when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.