The recently inaugurated Task Force on control of Transport  Fares of  Motorists And Monitoring of Unethical Practice by Filling Stations has swung into action as they embarked on an inspection and compliance exercise  to motor garages in the city of Abeokuta and it's environs in other to ensure that drivers comply with the agreed prices reached  during a stakeholders meeting with operators and unions in the transportation sub sector.

Briefing newsmen at  the commencement of the exercise, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Mr Adesoji Adewuyi said that the hike in fuel prices occasioned by the subsidy removal which has made transportation expensive has taken it's toll on the people and government would not fold it's arms to allow such to continue, hence the Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun CON directed that a task force should be set up to ensure that transport operators do not exploit passengers arbitrarily and to ensure too that filling stations do not engage in sharp practices that could shortchange the value Motorists derive from buying fuel.

 The Permanent Secretary revealed that a segment  of the public alleged  that some filling stations have adjusted their fuel pumps meters  which do not bring to accuracy the quantities that motorists purchased.

Mr Adewuyi noted further that the mandate of the task force was to ensure that all filling stations in the state regulate their pump meters appropriately as citizens would not be allowed to by an already expensive fuel and be shortchange with it at the same time.

He appealed to the filling stations and all the garages that would be visited in the course of the exercise to  cooperate with the government task force. 

Meanwhile, in the course of the operation of the committee, the Ministry of Transportation coordinator, Engr Adebola Onakoya  noted that although, some hitches were experienced especially at some filling stations, but gave a score card to the transport unions and the garages visited so far  for  exhibiting  courteousness  which aided the smooth running of the operation.

The task force has a mandate to visit all the approved garages across the 3 senatorial Districts of the states and to also checkmate arbitrary practice by filling stations who were alleged to have tampered with the pump meters.