Leadership (Abuja)
Comfort Onche
9 November 2009
Passengers who board Abuja Urban Mass Transit buses (AUMT), popularly called el-Rufai buses in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its suburbs last week complained about overloading in the buses.
The commuters accused the conductors of the buses of being concerned about their profits, rather than the safety of passengers. One of the commuters, Hassan Ibro told LEADERSHIP that he has complained to the management of the companies on several occasions without anything being done.
"Whenever such drivers are corrected by passengers on the capacity load, it results to quarrels," he said. Arubi Agocha, who boards the bus from Masaka to Area 1, describes it as a harrowing experience. "I prefer boarding the 'el-Rufai buses because of it is cheap. But, there is no comfort entering the buses. The congestion could cause danger to one's life.
They load passengers like yam tubers." Another passenger, Lilian Agana, on her own part said, "el-Rufai buses are very good, if only the drivers and their conductors could load according to the requirement.
"Some people climb each other which is not the best way." She further revealed that in such situations, conductors collect money without giving receipts to the passengers." "The management should stop them from loading beyond the capacity." she said. At the Abuja Urban Mass Transit Company, the manager was not available to speak on the matter.
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