Taxation: Truck drivers’ protest causes gridlock at Onitsha Bridge

Truck drivers protesting what they called heavy taxation by the Anambra State Government yesterday caused gridlock around the River Niger Bridge in Onitsha. The group, who operate trailers, lorries, trucks, and other articulated vehicles which bring goods into Anambra State, started the protest in the early hours of Friday, causing a lockdown of the bridge […]

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Truck drivers protesting what they called heavy taxation by the Anambra State Government yesterday caused gridlock around the River Niger Bridge in Onitsha.

The group, who operate trailers, lorries, trucks, and other articulated vehicles which bring goods into Anambra State, started the protest in the early hours of Friday, causing a lockdown of the bridge and the Enugu-Onitsha, Onitsha-Owerri expressways, which connect the state through Onitsha.

The situation caused commuters to be stranded while some people came down from their vehicles and started trekking.

While stating the reason for their action, the drivers lamented that the state government had imposed a levy of N30,000 for trailers loading and offloading goods in Anambra State, while other vehicles have their amount ranging from N20,000 to N25,000.

A driver, Odion Omoroge, who spoke on behalf of the aggrieved members, said he drove all night from Abuja to Benin, where he carried bags of garri and some tubers of yam into Onitsha, only to be met with the heavy levy imposed by the government.

While maintaining that the levies were unheard of, he described the policy as “the worst the people of the state will see.”

A resident of the city, Chika Orji, said he trekked a long distance to reach the market following the blockage of the roads by the protesting trailer and lorry drivers and wondered why a responsible government will impose such amount of levy on vehicles bringing goods, including foodstuffs, into the state at this time of the year.

The police were on ground to prevent a breakdown of law and order as the aggrieved drivers continued their actions, while commuters battled to pass through the roads.

The state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, could not be reached as calls and messages sent to his telephone line were not responded to.

Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo recently announced a levy of N30, 000 for trailers loading and offloading goods in Anambra State. Other affected vehicles include lorries and trucks which have their amount ranging from N20,000 to N25,000.

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