Oyo Assembly Moves to Stop Illegal Revenue Collection from Drivers, Tricyclists, Motorcyclists

The Oyo State House of Assembly has officially moved to curb the rampant illegal revenue collection, harassment, and imposition of multiple stickers on commercial drivers, tricyclists, and motorcyclists across the state. This legislative intervention follows a motion titled “Need to Curb Illegal Revenue Collection, Multiple Stickers, and Harassment of Commercial Drivers, Tricyclists, and Motorcyclists in Oyo State,” which was presented during plenary on Thursday.

The motion was co-sponsored by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, alongside other lawmakers including Hon. Rasak Mabaje (Ido), Hon. Sanjo Onaolapo (Ogbomoso South), Hon. Babajide Adebayo (Ibadan North II), and Hon. Akintunde Olajide (Lagelu). The lawmakers highlighted the vital economic role played by transport operators in ensuring mobility and employment for thousands of residents. However, they expressed deep concern that despite paying official annual revenue stickers totaling N10,500 and a daily ticket of N300, these operators are still subjected to extortion.

According to the Assembly, unauthorized individuals posing as government agents or park officials frequently set up illegal roadblocks to collect arbitrary levies ranging from N2,500 to N5,000 without issuing receipts. These practices not only undermine the state's revenue system but also lead to fare hikes and physical harassment of drivers. The lawmakers argued that such "multiple taxation" and intimidation discourage compliance with legitimate levies and inflict severe economic hardship on the transport sector.

To address this, the House resolved to urge the Executive Arm of Government to harmonize all transport-related revenue systems into a single, transparent framework. This would involve publishing and gazetting a unified ticketing system and empowering security agencies and the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Agency (OYRTMA) to enforce compliance. The Assembly also called for the immediate dismantling of illegal roadblocks and the prosecution of offenders. Relevant legislative committees have been tasked with ensuring the full implementation of these resolutions to safeguard the rights and welfare of transport operators in the state.