Truck drivers dare Plateau govt over movement restriction, N500k fine

Truck drivers, transporters and other related trade unions in Plateau State under the aegies of Plateau State Joint Transport, Traders and Marketers Association, have defied an executive order signed by Gov. Caleb Mutfwang aimed at curtailing the excesses of truck drivers amidst the regular accidents that occur.

Governor Mutfwang had last month, signed an Executive Order No. 003, 2024 to control the illegal erection of buildings and traffic in the state.

The Executive Order also restricted trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles from coming into the Central Business Area (Jos-Bukuru Metropolis) between 6 am and 9 pm, while stipulating N500,000 penalty and the impounding of the truck as punishment for violators.

But the transporters on Tuesday, announced that their members would not obey the order as they plan a sit-at-home across the state which will begin on Wednesday.

Spokesman for the transporters, Abubakar Garba, who disclosed this at a press conference held in Jos on Tuesday, said their action was intended to voice out their rejection of the governor’s executive order.

Garba noted that the executive order was an infringement on their fundamental right to freedom of movement as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution.

“The last time we checked, we found out that the roads, which the government is barricading for us not to ply, belong to the Federal Government, which the Federal Government constructed to ease movement from one state to another,” he said.

“Based on this development, restricting any vehicular movement on those roads is an infringement on our fundamental rights of movement as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We, therefore, call on the government of Plateau State to retrace its steps on this executive order by releasing our impounded trucks immediately, provide designated routes for trucks, allow trucks moving goods to states like Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Borno and Jigawa states to use the bye-pass roads to their destinations.

“We further urge the government to construct truck terminals for the efficient working of the executive order and also to reduce the restriction time from 9:00 pm to 6:00 am to 5pm to 7am so as to reduce the hardship faced by truck owners and high cost of goods and services by the citizens.

“We will continue to use all available legal means for the enforcement of our fundamental rights even as we have resolved to declare, Wednesday, April 3, 2024, as a warning strike to sit at home, to show our dissatisfaction with the sad executive order No 003 and we shall continue until a lasting solution is found.”

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