Commuters travelling to Onitsha from Asaba had to trek the one and half kilometres stretch of River Niger Bridge to their destinations following a protest by Onitsha/Asaba bus drivers.

The drivers were protesting the hike in bus levy by Anambra State Transport Authorities called “award levy” compulsory for all bus drivers

The protest which started as early as 7.00 a.on Monday last till 6 pm, thus, granded the economic activities in Onitsha and Asaba metropolis, vowed not to back down from their demands for removal of the new levy.

The Chairman, Asaba /Onitsha Bus Unit, Mr Chukwujindu Okeleke lamented the hike in levies, adding that the new levy of N1600 and N400 loading fee breaches an agreement signed in 2011.

He said, “The same issue came up in 2011 but we resolved it amicably with an agreement reached between both sides.

“Bus drivers from Delta State are being molested and monies were stolen.

“Their protest today is non-violent until the new levies are reversed buses coming from Asaba will drop off passengers at the Asaba end of the River Niger Bridge”

“Despite several petitions written through the Anambra Ministry of Transport nothing has been done to address their plight.

“We are not only protesting. We have decided that we will not drive into Onitsha because of the high exploitative levy by agberos in Anambra.

They beat out drivers for refusing to pay a levy that is not in the agreement reached in 2011.

Okeleke accused a cabal to be responsible for the arbitrary levy which he claims negates the agreement reached in 2011.

“In 2011 when this same issue came up the agreement states that when you pay N600 per day subsequent payments are charged only for loading is N200 which is 10 per cent of 10 passengers which is N2000.

They have breached all the agreement with us. I have had a lot of compliance from the drivers and I have decided to take this action.

We want one pay point instead of this arbitrary collection from several parks” he lamented.