The Erin-Ile Progressive Union (EPU) has appealed to the Kwara State government to review the recent decision on the Federal Polytechnic and Erin-Ile motor parks.

Speaking with journalists after a stakeholders’ meeting at Erin-Ile, the chairman of the home branch of EPU, Captain Hezekiah Awodoyin (retd), said that the government’s directive to taxi and commuter bus operators to revert to their former garages was being abused by touts.

Awodoyin also said that the activities of the touts cause hardship for commuters and impede free movement of persons and goods in the area, particularly students of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, residing in Erin-Ile.

He said the situation arose because of the refusal of touts to allow commercial vehicles plying Erin-Ile to pick commuters at the Federal Polytechnic bus stop, adding that commercial motorcyclists were not exempted from the ban allegedly imposed by the touts.

He also alleged that some people forced some passengers heading for Erin-Ile to come down at Sanni Aba.

Awodoyin urged the state government to intervene in the matter to alleviate the hardship being faced by commuters in view of the amicable settlement of a recent crisis that was brokered by stakeholders in Offa and Oyun local government areas of the state where it was agreed that there should be no further hampering of movement of people in the area.

He also enjoined commercial vehicle operators and members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to join the state government in ensuring return of peaceful and orderly flow of traffic in the affected areas.

The EPU chairman also said that the people and governments of the two local government areas would work together to put an end to constant wrangling in bus stops to accelerate pace of socio-economic development of the area and the state.

He urged the police and other security operatives not to relent in their efforts to return peace to the two local governments and to enforce all measures taken by the state and local governments