The Ondo state government has dissociated itself from the reported hike In daily ticket by taxi drivers from #250 to #700.
This has resulted in an upward review of taxi fare from #50 per drop to #100.
A situation which many residents who woke up to the new price regime described as inflicting more pains on them especially with the payment of half salary by the Akeredolu led administration and the current hike in prices of foods, goods and services in the sunshine state.
Explaining the position of government, Special Adviser to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Transport, Mr Tobi ogunleye said government was not part of the increase putting the blame on the drivers union, the NURTW.
According to the Governor's aide "I don't know how they arrived at that but I want to distant this government out of that. The government by our position we don't have the authority and power to intervene in business of any union. The issue of #700 per ticket is strange to us, its quite embarrassing. From history, NURTW had not been yielding anything for the state, okada rider, Tricycle drivers have always yielded an appreciable revenue for government and they did not increase their fare"
Mr Ogunleye who admitted that taxi driver union increased its taxes to government coffers this year posited that people could reject any price that is not favorable in civil manner.
A taxi driver, Mr kehinde blame the ticket hike on collaboration between both government and taxi driver union.
Mr Kehinde explained "'the ticket we used to pay #250 for has been increased to #700, it is a collaboration between our union and government"
