12 injured as NURTW and RTEAN clash over ticket price

No less than 12 people were seriously injured after officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) clashed over a hike in the price of tickets for commercial motorcyclists in the Igando area of Lagos.

According to a report, there had been an earlier agreement between the two groups that ticketing be suspended until after a meeting on Friday (today) when the situation will be formally addressed but an official of the NURTW was seen demanding payment of the new rate from some motorcyclists which led officials of the RTEAN to challenge the official, resulting in a confrontation between the two groups.

According to a police source, business activities in the community were halted due to the clash between the groups.

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“The fight started very early on Thursday and it is over a hike in ticket rate. The motorcyclists had complained that they were being unfairly charged and that they could not afford the fees”. The police source said.

Continuing, the source added that; “After the complaint, an agreement was reached that the ticketing be suspended until a meeting between the leadership of the two groups on Friday. However, somebody asked the riders to start paying the new fee and when the riders resisted, the fight began. No fewer than 12 people were injured during the fracas, but nobody died.”

SP Dolapo Badmos, the Police Public Relations Officer, who confirmed the incident, noted that the state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, will meet with the two groups in a bid to settle the matter cordially.

“The two groups were embroiled in a fracas in the early hours of today. The Igando division moved in to quell the crisis after which the state CP visited the area for an on-the-spot assessment. He has also directed the DPO to ensure the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators. He stated that the command would not tolerate any group of people hiding under the guise of unionism to cause a breach of peace in the state.”

 

 

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