Passengers on a Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) on Wednesday threw caution to the wind as they verbally attacked an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) over an arrest on the BRT vehicle.
The LASTMA official allegedly arrested the BRT coming from Agege at Ikeja-Along bus stop where it was discharging passengers, claiming the bus was at an unmarked bus stop as against the registered Ikeja-Along bus stop on Lagos-Abeokuta expressway.
However, commuters became furious when one of the LASTMA officials got in the driver’s seat and began to drive the bus to its Oshodi destination, discharging passengers at different bus stops as indicated.
The story took a twist when Oshodi-bound passengers became uncomfortable and felt unsafe with the ‘uneasy’ driving manner of the official and began to hurl insults at him. He then stopped the bus abruptly and threaten to discharge every passenger on-board, half-way.
One of the passengers, Mr Adeyemo Johnson said: “Even if the driver was wrong, it does not call for the LASTMA official to take control of a bus with about 100 passengers on board from a trained driver. Johnson questioned the experience of the official in driving that qualified him to drive such a big vehicle loaded with about hundred passengers.
Another passenger, Mrs Alimat Badiru, a business woman who was also on board said: “This is the way these LASMA officials risk people’s lives when they are supposed to protect them, but this man should be brought to book so as to teach others a lesson”.
The ranting increased and the bus became unbearable as almost all the passengers were with one opinion or the other as against the LASTMA official and some threaten to make him loose his job, taking his photograph behind the wheel but no one attacked him physically.
The LASTMA official became angry and decided to discharge all passengers at Bolade bus stop and threatening to deal with the original driver of the vehicle.