Commuters stranded, fares hiked as ‘danfo’ drivers begin strike in parts of Lagos

It was a stressful Monday morning for commuters in some parts of Lagos state as a union of commercial bus drivers, popularly known as ‘danfo’, embarked on strike.

TheCable had reported on Sunday that the Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria (JDWAN) would begin a seven-day boycott of Lagos roads.

Akintade Abiodun, national leader of JDWAN, had said the decision was due to alleged extortion by the management of motor parks and garages in the state.

On Monday morning, TheCable visited major bus stops across the state to assess the impact of the strike on residents.

At the Ikotun axis, it was observed that commuters were stranded owing to the paucity of commercial buses plying the routes.

Meanwhile, transport fare from Council bus stop in the Ikotun axis to Iyana Ipaja roundabout was hiked from N200 to N400.

At the Egbeda axis, transport fares were hiked by an additional N200 to all routes.

At the Onipanu bus stop, commuters waited for longer periods for buses to their destinations, with one telling TheCable that she spent close to an hour to get a bus to Yaba.

At Shyllon and Awoyokun bus stops, TheCable observed that only a few buses were available to convey passengers.

Meanwhile, it was observed that commercial bus drivers plying the Oshodi, Iyana Ipaja, and Ile-Epo routes ignored the strike directive as they continued their daily transport activities.

Some of the commercial bus drivers at Iyana Ipaja and Ile-Epo said they were not aware of the strike.