Today is Int'l #YouthDay, a day for celebrating youths globally, encourage us & propose ways to improve our lives. Sadly in Nigeria, it's another day to discuss an unfavourable govt policy that suffocates an employment window for youths & MSMEs. This time Uber & Taxify. Thread
The public transportation system is ranked amongst the worst in the world. An insufficient and decadent multi-modal system, and an inhuman public road transport impacts negatively on the overall quality of life of Lagosians. The emergence of ride hailing apps helped reduce that.
Prior to their emergence, the average Lagosian had to either go by the buses or engage yellow taxis who charge exorbitant fares despite, an overwhelming majority of them being older than 20years, break down frequently and are inhabitable for humans. LASG turned a blind eye.
Despite the existence of a Ministry of Transportation who should enforce a MoT test on these vehicles, corrupt practices enable them stay on the roads and security agencies only focus on extorting private vehicles as the NURTW has become a powerful pseudo-arm of the ruling party.
Asides the impact on transport quality, ride-hailing apps created jobs for thousands of youths - graduates who couldn't get jobs, underemployed youths who needed extra income, and those who just had to survive. It also attracted massive investments & increased economic activity.
One would therefore, expect that the Lagos Government would reasonably engage the stakeholders to see how the model can be replicated and expanded to improve public transportation. Increasing annual fees, taxing their rides & pushing it to riders, etc, does the opposite of that.
Infact, it is multiple taxations if I pay 10% on my transportation from my house to work to govt, pay between 5-10% consumption tax at a restaurant during lunch, pay Personal Income Tax, yet still suffer on terrible roads due to govt's negligence, incompetence and corruption.
@followlasg should be lowering fees, expanding operations of tech-enabled transport, & open up ways of collaboration between them & govt for the betterment of Lagosians. Ultimately, more drivers can earn more & pay more tax. Not kill citizens & businesses with myopic policies.
If the haggard public buses/cabs that are not fit for commuting humans, have not been told to stop operating if older than 3years, why then should @followlasg ask that of Uber/taxify, who are generally in better condition and have stricter standards. It is obviously disingenuous.
It is counterproductive for the government to keep strangling businesses to the benefit of the NURTW and political oligarchy. It is unsustainable and callous. It discourages investment and does not even enable higher tax income for govt in the long run. End.
