Lagos State Government has refuted rumours making the rounds that it is clamping down on Uber operators.
This was contained in a statement on its website on Tuesday.
The news started trending shortly after the ban on okada and keke took effect on February 1, 2020.
However, Lagos government says Uber owners have resorted to blackmail by attempting to discredit Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) officials to gain public sympathy.
It said VIS, popularly known as VIO, was performing its statutory duties of facilitating compliance with Road Traffic Laws by ensuring motorists possess the stipulated vehicle documents, such as Roadworthiness, Vehicle Licence, Drivers Licence, Insurance Certificate, Hackney Permit and the Lagos State Drivers Institute (LASDRI) card for all categories of commercial commuter vehicles.
“The allegation by Uber Operators, especially on social media, that the State Government was demanding for N110,000 operational licence fees from their members before they could operate in the State is totally untrue, unsubstantiated, unreasonable and a ploy to win public sympathy”, it noted.
Lagos government challenged any operator with such evidence to bring it to the public domain for proof.
It stated that in the last three weeks, the VIS has apprehended close to 1,000 vehicles for various offences, ranging from non-possession of valid drivers’ licence to driving with expired vehicle particulars. Twenty Uber vehicles are among those impounded.
“Uber operators are out to make mischief as they would not tell the public that their members whose vehicles were apprehended contravened one law or the other.”
Lagos government insisted that no operator has a right to drive around without a driver’s licence.
It said if defaulting operators ply roads with expired vehicle particulars and are exposed by the Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) machines, they do not need to resort to blackmail or seek public sympathy.
The statement advised commercial vehicles with valid documents to go about their normal operations without fear.
It added that those with incomplete or expired documentation should validate their papers as the government will continue to apprehend all violators of the law.
