By Umar Sani Yakubu
The management of Yankari Mass transits vehicles and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) in Dass Local Government council of Bauchi State have alleged that the council denied them from operations.
Dass unit Chairman NARTO, Alhaji Saleh Sama’ila Turaki made the allegations while speaking to Journalists on Friday in Dass town.
He said the authorities are not happy with the idea of reducing transport fares from Dass to Bauchi and Bauchi to Dass, considering the hardship experienced by citizens.
Turaki expresses worries that the local government authorities are treating the approval of the two transport companies with kid gloves as sister companies carry on with their exploitation of commuters.
“We have started pursuing the process to allow us operate in Dass local government since July 27th, 2023. But, as we count months we are yet to be formally granted approval to operate”.
“The worst part is even after the local government chairman directed the revenue department to allocate space for us to operate in the motor parks, other companies with higher prices denied us space.
“The distance between Dass and Bauchi is about 45 kilometers ,they collect N1000 while as Mass transits we collect N600, it doesn’t go down well with them.
“That is why we are denied space and authority to operate in the council, looking at the present situation and reality face by the citizens,” he said
Turaki then called on the authorities’ concern and fellow transport workers to consider the plight of commuters and stop the exploitation.
On his part a stakeholder, Mr Bitrus Yusuf Mai Unguwa said he facilitated the process when he was working with Yankari Mass Transit to come and operate in Dass at low fare.
He said the committee formed by the local government chairman to facilitate the process has been over delaying the process.
“This forced the local government chairman to give us verbal approval to commence operations,
“As we set to commence operations, officials of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and other bodies in the Motor Park closed the gate and denied us entrance for operations claiming that they were not given written notification.
“People are suffering and transportation fares are high, according to him, this is adding salt to the injury as such authorities should speed the process,” he said.
Meanwhile, all efforts to speak with the Caretaker Chairman of Dass council Comrade Muhammad Jibo failed and he neither responded to phone calls nor replied to text messages sent to him.