The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Ebonyi State chapter has called for a unified system of tolls collection in the state.
Chairman of the Association in Ebonyi State, Igwe James made the call in Abakaliki while lamenting alleged multiple taxation on interstate drivers in the transport sector of the state.
Igwe opined that unifying all required tolls into one known ticket would make toll payment easier for drivers just like in other states of South East and put an end to revenue leakages in the state.
He regretted the harassment being faced by drivers following alleged introduction of a new toll called Legion Toll by retired military personnel in the state reportedly aimed at taking care of widows of the fallen heroes.
“Yes, I got the report from my drivers that there were new tickets introduced last week and two weeks ago. One is called Nigeria Legion Ticket and the second one is Unified Ticket. I have tried to consult the owners of the toll tickets to find out the reasons behind them. I support the unified ticket but there should be no other ticket after the unified ticket.
“Enugu has what they call online tickets and when a driver buys that singular ticket, he doesn’t have any need to pay tolls in any part of the state again for that day. Their unified system of tolls payment in Enugu is fine and it eliminates multiple taxation.
“So, I support the idea of a unified ticket in the real sense of it. We want just one ticket, any part of Ebonyi you find yourself as a driver, you will pay for that one known ticket, he said.
He added, “I solicit that all the tolls from various LGAs and states should be summed up in one ticket for easy identification and payment by drivers. It is surprising that after paying the state toll, the LGAs will also print their various tickets and expect the same drivers struggling to survive to pay.”
Reacting to the Nigeria Legion toll ticket, Igwe stated, “I learnt from our drivers on the roads that the collectors said they are using it to generate funds for widows and orphans of ex-service men. And I ask, a driver doing his legitimate work who has no gratuity, no pension from any government, after paying government taxes, road worthiness, you will still expect him to contribute to Legion people by forcing him to buy illegal tickets at N500 daily?”
“Road safety officers out there, serving soldiers, the police are also collecting money from the same drivers. So, after being forced to give to the living, we are also being forced to give to the dead? Is that not extortion? I am asking that the board in charge of revenue collection, the ministry in charge of transportation and all concerned should gather and make things easier for equity’s sake.
“I pray that the government should do the needful so that these poor drivers will breathe. They are currently going through a lot of difficulties, feeding their families, paying school fees, buying fuel at N850 or 900 per litre, fixing their vehicles,” he lamented.
Efforts to reach the Ebonyi State Chairman of Nigeria Legion, Retired Captain Fidelis Ogodo Nweke and chairman, Ebonyi State board of Internal Revenue, Christopher Omoisu, were not successful.
