ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF TOUT (AGBERO) TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE ROAD PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN IBADAN

Abstract

One of the challenges facing the public transportation development of Nigeria has been the significant birth of transport tout called ‘agbero’. Therefore, this study was conducted to address the issue of tout towards sustainable public road transport in Ibadan. The study adopted both purposive and simple random technique using a well-structured questionnaire to elicit information on the issue of agbero. Three (3) commercial motor parks and seven (7) bus-stops were purposively sampled. The respondents in this work were Nissan Micra taxi drivers and intra-city public bus drivers, and commuters of both intra-city and inter-city public transport selected from motor parks and bus-stops, respectively. The respondents were selected through a simple random sampling technique. Two hundred (200) questionnaire were distributed to various respondents and 192 retrieved. The findings of this study revealed that inadequate access to economic means remains the main reason for engaging in the work of an agbero. Furthermore, the result showed that agberos were part of road administration in Ibadan; they averagely earn more than a university graduate Violent extortion is their main activity among others while the government’s measure in curbing the menace of agbero in Ibadan is gradually yielding results. This study, therefore, recommends that the governments should create employment opportunity for youths to channel their energies to a productive enterprise. Education should be mandatory while attention should be given to graduates. The law should serve as a safeguard against an unlawful act of road extortion and other menace caused by agbero. Lastly, the operation of transport unions should be reviewed by the local and state governments through effective dialogue with stakeholders and rendering of proper accounts by the executives and parks’ managers.