The Lagos State Government has debunked the rumour that it is clamping down on Uber operators who seem to have resorted to blackmail by attempting to discredit Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) officials to gain public sympathy.

The Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) is performing its statutory duty of facilitating compliance with the Road Traffic Laws by ensuring motorists possess the stipulated vehicle documents, such as Roadworthiness, Vehicle Licence, Drivers Licence, Insurance Certificate, Hackney Permit and the Lagos State Drivers Institute (LASDRI) card for all categories of commercial commuter vehicles.

The allegation by Uber Operators, especially on the social media, that the State Government was demanding for N110,000 operational licence fees from their members before they could operate in the State is totally untrue, unsubstantiated, unreasonable and a ploy to win public sympathy.

The government challenges any operator with such evidence to bring it to the public domain for proof. In the last three weeks, the Vehicle Inspection Services has apprehended close to 1,000 vehicles for various offences, ranging from non-possession of valid drivers’ licence to driving with expired vehicle particulars. Twenty Uber vehicles are among those impounded.

Uber operators are out to make mischief as they would not tell the public that their members whose vehicles were apprehended contravened one law or the other. No operator has a right to drive around without a driver’s licence. When such an erring operator who plies Lagos roads with expired vehicle particulars is exposed by the Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) machines and his vehicle is impounded, he does not need to resort to blackmail or seek public sympathy.

Commercial vehicles with valid documents should go about their normal operations without any fear. Those with incomplete or expired documentation should validate their papers as the government will continue to apprehend all violators of the law.