Some commercial drivers in Pankshin, Plateau, have called for a complete ban on the operations of Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) in the state.

The commercial motorists cited widespread extortion and harassment of motorists as a reason for the call.

The state government temporarily suspended the operations of the VIO from September 21 to 27 following violent altercations between the officers and motorists.

The commercial drivers made the call in an interview on Wednesday in Pankshin.

One of the drivers, Ishaku Hassan, described VIO as the worst nightmare of every motorist in Plateau because they operated without human empathy.

Mr Hassan said every driver woke up with different challenges on his mind, ranging from family pressure, fuel hikes and bad roads to vehicle maintenance and the activities of extortionists on the highways.

“To me, a suspension is too mild for them. I want them completely banned from the roads because their activities contribute to the high rate of accidents.

“Drivers work for two categories of people: filling stations and the VIO. The latter does not care whether you have money or not; they will take away all your earnings,” he said.

Mr Hassan noted that there were ways the VIO could charge defaulting drivers without causing them so much pain, since nobody is perfect.

“I know they are performing their legitimate duties, but depriving drivers of their hard-earned money without thinking of their well-being will be resisted by all means,” he stated.

Bernard Moses, another driver who welcomed the suspension of the VIO’s operations, also called for their total ban in the state.

Mr Moses said they travelled to different states and met different personnel rendering similar services without having problems with them, but the story changed immediately upon returning to Plateau.

“Even if you have your complete papers and a valid driver’s licence, the VIO will always find a fault to extort you, unless your vehicle came directly from the manufacturer.

“They must understand that we are also struggling to meet our families’ needs just like them, because driving is our only source of income.

“Some of our drivers have abandoned the work because sometimes they return home with nothing due to fuel hikes and constant extortion by VIO personnel,” he said.

Mr Moses added that the economy was biting hard and people could no longer travel unless it became absolutely necessary, yet the VIO would not allow drivers to breathe on the road.

Also speaking, Yakubu Yahaya said the personnel were the architects of their own problems because they charged defaulting drivers unreasonably.

“When you push people too hard against the wall, they will certainly develop resistance against you. That is the situation between VIO personnel and motorists.

“I will be very happy if they are ousted completely from the roads because the harassment, extortion, and losses they cause drivers are massive.

“These vehicles often develop electrical faults caused by bad roads, which may be unknown to the driver. But the moment these faults are detected, even with valid papers, the charges become exorbitant,” Mr Yahaya said.

On his part, Peter Hero, another driver, said the activities of VIO personnel on the roads often drive motorists insane.

Mr Hero said it was stressful for a driver to be thinking about an inadequate number of passengers, fuel hikes, bad roads, and family pressure, only to meet the VIO on the road looking for any minor fault to extort him.

He explained that just as the officers have targets to meet, drivers also have their own financial targets, and no reasonable driver would be happy to see all his money taken away.

“In this hard economy, there is no justification for charging a defaulting driver ₦20,000 to ₦30,000 for either an expired roadworthiness certificate, a faulty headlight, or a broken traffic indicator, which may be unknown to the driver.

“They are supposed to discharge their duties within the ambit of the law by charging a fair and reasonable fine, but their activities look like midday robbery,” he said.

He also added that the activities of the VIO regularly cause nuisances on the highways, leading to the loss of lives and property. 

(NAN)