THIS IS THE POSITION OF PEDPA as far as driver’s badge and vehicle tag is concern,according to this??? below letter to the office Governor of Lagos State
28th August, 2020
Mr. Governor
The Executive Governor of Lagos State
The Lagos House, Alausa Ikeja
Attention:
The Honourable Commissioner for Transportation
Ministry of Transportation
Dear Mr. Governor,
INTRODUCTION OF OUR ASSOCIATION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF LAGOS STATE AND OUR STAND/REQUEST ON THE GUIDELINES FOR ON LINE HAILING BUSINESS OPERATION OF TAXI IN LAGOS STATE
This is to formerly introduce our association to Mr. Governor and the Government of Lagos State and to state our position and/or to request that driver badge and vehicle tag should not be part of the documents required by a driver to operate as an e – hailing driver in Lagos State.
WHO ARE WE
Professional E – Hailing Drivers and Private – Owners Association (hereinafter called “PEDPA”) as an association duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and an affiliate of Trade Union Congress (TUC) is made up of a body of professional transport operators and e – hailing drivers – partner community set up to promote, enhance, protect the image, fame, integrity, welfare and security of all e – hailing drivers, partners, riders and/or any other agencies affiliated or concerned with the business of e – hailing transportation business in Nigeria.
PEDPA was conceived and set up by intelligent and vibrant hard working and well read Nigerians who were desirous of changing/taking the operation/face of e – hailing taxi business in Nigeria to the next level by ensuring adequate welfare and security of their members are guaranteed and by ensuring that e – hailing App companies (dominated by foreigners) excesses, shenanigans and exploitations of young and industrious Nigerian youths involved in e – hailing business as a way of proving employment for themselves and making valuable contributions to the development of the state economy are controlled and/or checked.
OUR STAND ON THE NEW E – HAILING GUIDELINES
Generally, the new Lagos State Government guidelines on e – hailing business is a welcome development to members of PEDPA because it is seen as PEDPA as a means of regulating e – hailing business which regulation is considered by PEDPA to be overdue and necessary.
PEDPA recognises the need to regulate the e – hailing business in Lagos as a way of ensuring adequate security by the Government of Lagos State for its members, the riders and the entire members of the society.
To confirm its recognition of this guidelines, PEDPA had organised meetings and symposium to properly educate its members on the need to support and comply with the government new regulation/guidelines. A press conference was on the 25th day of August 2020 organised with over twenty-eight (28) reputable media houses in attendance to publicly openly show its support and readiness to abide by the guidelines. At the said press conference PEDPA reiterated to the world its members readiness and willingness to support, cooperate and abide by the Lagos State Government new regulations and guidelines on operation of ride sharing application and their operators in Lagos State.
OUR CONCERNS AND WORRIES
PEDPA is greatly concerned, worried and unhappy about the conflicting positions/rumours from the government quarters and the App companies regarding the need for each driver to personally, in addition to numerous other documents, including but not limited to Vehicle and Driver’s Licence, Insurance Policy, Roadworthiness Certificate, Hackney Permit, Body Tag, LASRRA, LASDRI etc required to be obtained by each driver, obtain a driver badge and vehicle tag to be able to operate in Lagos.
PEDPA’s understanding of the agreement reached at the stakeholders meeting duly attended by Mr. Governor and our President Mr. Idris Oluwasun Shonuga, was that following Mr. Governor’s intervention, it was agreed that driver badge and all routes vehicle body tag be removed from the documents required to be obtained by e – hailing drivers because, according to Mr. Governor, majority of the e – hailing drivers are graduate who prefer to drive cars that are well packaged just like the riders will prefer to use the service of a driver with cars free of any tag.
We were however surprised and taken aback when the information being sent to our members by the App companies to the effect that, in addition to other relevant documents required to be obtained by the drivers in line with the new guidelines, each driver must obtain driver badge and vehicle body tag, said to be N4,000 (Four Thousand Naira) and N6,000 (Six Thousand Naira) respectively, from the Ministry of Transportation to be able to operate within Lagos was confirmed by the Commissioner for Transportation.
It is pertinent to state that our members are not happy with the development because they see the requirement to obtain driver badge and vehicle body tag, said to be N4,000 (Four Thousand Naira) and N6,000 (Six Thousand Naira) respectively, from the Ministry of Transportation to be able to operate within Lagos as not only an additional financial burden to them but one which will defeat the essence of e – hailing business in Lagos if it is allowed to remain as part of the documents to be obtained by a driver to operate in Lagos State.
OUR REQUESTS
Mr. Governor, putting into consideration the concerns and worries of the e – hailing drivers vis a viz your understanding and compassionate positions at the last stakeholders and as the father of the state, a listening, intelligent and compassionate Governor who is ahead of time, it is our respectful and humble demand as your sons that Mr. Governor should use his good offices to intercede, ask and/or direct the Ministry of Transport not to include the requirements of obtaining driver badge and vehicle body tag as part of the documents needed by e – hailing driver in Lagos State to operate.
While we appreciate the ninety days (90) window given by the Government to our members to perfect and obtain relevant documents required by the new guidelines, we plead with Mr. Governor to direct all the relevant and appropriate law enforcement agencies not to before the expiration of the said ninety days (90) window harass or make life difficult for our members.
Please Mr. Governor accept our regard of the highest esteem.
IJOBA ILU EKO OTI DI AJUMO SE.
Yours faithfully,
COMRADE IDRIS SHONUGA OLUWASEUN
NATIONAL PRESIDENT (PEDPA)
