From left— PTONA Vice President (East), Okey Mba; Secretary, Mr. Frank Nneji; President, Engr. Isaac Uhunmwagho; Provost/Welfare Officer, Ogueri Christian Udunna; Treasurer, Greg Inyaba, and Financial Secretary/Chairman, Planning Committee, Chief Nonso Ubajaka, during the association’s AGM Lagos.

By Theodore Opara

Four months after the Federal Government approved N10 billion to help road transportation survive the effects of COVID-19, members of Public Transport Owners of Nigeria Association (PTONA) have appealed for disbursement of the fund to save their businesses from collapse.

They have also called for an immediate re-opening of the land borders closed by the government about 15 months ago, even as they decried the unfair implementation of the COVI-19 protocol of 50 percent seating capacity which is biased against their branded inter-state buses on various routes nationwide.

This was contained in a communiqué by PTONA at the end of a two-day Annual General Meeting in Ikeja, Lagos, on the theme “Road Transportation and the Future of Nigeria Economy.”

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At the AGM were representatives of the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemi Saraki; Minister of State of Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, and many other personalities.

Signed by the National President, Engr. Isaac Uhunmwagho, and the Secretary, Frank Nneji, PTONA appealed to the Inspector General of Police and the Chief of Army Staff to immediately remove all the numerous Police/Army checkpoints on the highways.

They said such roadblocks have tripled journey time on various routes, thereby making road transportation a nightmare.

The public transport owners stated that with experts in transportation as resource persons, over 120 members participating in the summit, and about 10 bus makers exhibiting their vehicles, the forum provided a veritable platform for deliberating on the burning issues confronting the sector and making recommendations.

Papers were presented by Dr. John Isemede and Alban Igwe, and an interactive session.

Vanguard News Nigeria