By Maria Famakinwa

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The current harsh economic conditions being witnessed across the country has forced many Nigerians to create alternative methods of making money. One of such is running taxi cab service around cities in Nigeria, including Akure, the Ondo State capital. It is now common to see flashy cars used as cabs at different motor parks. This is common with retired, aged men who under normal circumstances should be resting, given the stress involved in driving.
Some of the aged drivers who spoke with The Hope said that they drive cabs in order to survive the harsh economy because their monthly pensions were not paid as and when due and even not enough .
In the submission of a 65-year-old Mr Ojo Oladiran, who ply Oja Oke-Aro, said that he turned his private car to a cab two years ago when his son who was a manager in a private company lost his job. “This affected me and other members of the family. The money I am getting as a retiree is not regular and is also not enough. In order to meet up with my financial needs, I had to convert my private car to a taxi. The same car was bought for me by my son before he lost his job.”
On if he can cope with the stress involved, he said, “though, I am in my mid-sixties and I need to rest, it is advisable not to rest at the wrong time. One of the major reasons why I turned to commercial driver was to care for my health, because I am on drugs. The little money I am making has been helping me to care for myself and my family. I hate to be a burden to anyone. It is even better than staying at home and doing nothing which can raise my blood pressure. What I do mostly is that I go home to rest when it is 2.30pm and come back by 4pm. However, I close daily between 6:00 and 6.30pm because my poor sight will not let me drive at night.” he said.
Also, Mr Friday Emiloju, an engineer turned commercial driver, lamented that he had no choice but to use what he has to get what he needed. The man who claimed to be in his late 50s said that he had been using his car as cab for the past four years, carrying passengers from Oja-Oba to Roadblock, in order to meer up with current economic reality. His words, “As an engineer, it is sad that I have to turn my car to commercial use, especially during the weekends, to make ends meet. I resigned from a private company I worked for, after eleven months of unpaid salary. I had to put shame behind me and use what I have to get some money.
“Initially, it was difficult for me to engage in this, but when I realised that I would pay for my rent, my children’s school fees and other bills, I forgot about shame and encouraged myself. Thank God, things are getting better. Now in Nigeria, you have to struggle to get things done.”
Sharing a similar opinion, Mr Fadairo Jayeola, a man in his late 60s who conveys passengers from Oja-Oba to Oshinle, said that he turned his private car to commercial two years ago when the reality dawned on him. His words, “The reasons many are using their private cars to convey passengers is obvious. What is the essence of having a private car you cannot maintain at home and your family members are hungry? I thought I could not put my car on the road to carry passengers due to my age, but when the hunger became unbearable and my children were sent home for school fees, nobody advised me before I took the necessary step.
“It is a pity we have to find ourselves in this mess. The hardship is really telling on everybody. Even the rich are crying. The business I was doing before collapsed since the close of border and I had to look for an alternative, especially now that the prices of foodstuffs increase everyday without any step from the government to address the hardship. I think that the only solution to meet my financial needs is to turn my private car to a taxi as many are doing.” he stated.
On his challenges as a commercial driver he noted that some passengers preferred to board younger drivers’ cabs. “They think that driving is risky for the elderly forgetting that we are more experienced. Another challenge is that I cannot drive when it is getting dark or raining because of my sight,” he added.
A civil servant, Mr Kayode Ikumehin, who also uses his private car for commercial purposes, explained that since he started four years ago, things have changed positively for his family. He said, “When I started initially, some of my friends discouraged me, even though they could not help me financially. With five children, things were so tough for me that my wife and I fought almost every day. I had no other option than to use my car for commercial purpose to argument my salary. It was surprising that some of my friends who discouraged me then are now using their private cars as taxis.”
On how convenient combining office work with taxi driving, he said that he planned his time well so that one would not disturb the other. He said, “Since I work in Owo and reside in Akure, what I do most times is to carry passengers who are also civil servants working in Owo. I also bring them back to Akure when we close. Not only this, I have a garage where I registered my car as a commercial cab and resume there every weekend to look for passengers. I also do same when I am on leave.
“Many civil servants are surviving through this means. Most motorcyclists (okada riders) are civil servants struggling to survive. You see more of private cars being used for commercial purposes at the weekends, because civil servants are not going to work. It is a good idea for me when you consider the cost of maintaining a car and meeting the family’s essential needs. With the current economic challenges, most families cannot survive on salaries alone. Not even now that salaries are not regular. Before you know what is happening, bicycles will become means of transportation because people want to survive at all costs,” he said.