By Steve Agbota
The Council of Maritime Transport Union and Associations (COMTUA) has decried the indiscriminate arrest of its members’ trucks and the heavy fines imposed on truck drivers by the suspended ad-hoc teams of Committee on Removal of Abandoned Vehicles (LASCRAV) operating in the state.
In a letter addressed to the Special Adviser, Lagos State Governor on Transportation by the Director Legal, COMTUA, Temilorun Komolafe, the association alleged that fines are hardly issued, rather cash collections ranging from N300,000 to N500,000 are allegedly collected from truck owners by the members of the committee.
The association also alleged gross irregularities perpetuated by officials of LASCRAV, this was even as they lamented the forceful hijack of trucks on transit from their drivers by persons who claimed to be working for the Lagos state government.
The COMTUA informed that in a bid to carry out their operation, dangerous weapons are freely used by thugs attached to the team. The truck owners also alleged that policemen attached to the team also use guns freely on its members.
According to COMTUA, where fines are issued, truck drivers are made to pay N150,000 as towing fee, even when the trucks were driven by their drivers.
A copy of the fine ticket sighted by our correspondent also showed that truck drivers are made to pay the sum of N500,000 for treatment of injured personnel of LASCRAV.