Business activities and vehicular movement were disrupted in Enugu, the state capital, on Wednesday as hundreds of commercial transporters and market traders protested against what they described as heavy taxation and rising fuel prices.

The protesters, including tricycle operators, minibus drivers and shop owners, blocked major transport hubs and roads around Ogbete Main Market, Old Park and the Holy Ghost axis.

The demonstration disrupted access to the city’s central commercial district as operators expressed concerns over daily levies and state tax policies.The protest came despite the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service’s defence of the state’s tax reforms.

Its Executive Chairman, Ekene Nnamani, recently said informal-sector Internally Generated Revenue had increased from less than N100 million annually to N7.4 billion following the consolidation of levies through technology.

Transporters Protest Daily Tax Increases

According to the state government, the central e-ticket system was introduced to eliminate illegal road tolls and multiple-agency extortion involving the Enugu State Waste Management Authority, the Enugu State Environmental and Climate Change Agency and local government councils.The system reportedly costs traders N36,000 annually, while transporters make consolidated daily payments.

However, operators at the protest scene alleged that their daily operational taxes had increased from N350 to N1,000 over the past 20 months.A commercial driver, Michael Chieze, said transporters were struggling with rising ticket charges, park fees and penalties for late payments, alongside increasing fuel costs.

He said petrol was selling at N1,450 per litre and expressed concerns that the tax burden could force operators out of businessv.

Police Deployed as Protest Disrupts Traffic

The protest caused traffic congestion across parts of Enugu, prompting the deployment of police units and government representatives to the Ogbete-Holy Ghost corridor.

The officials engaged with the demonstrators as authorities worked to restore public order and ease movement within the affected areas.

The protest underscores growing concerns among commercial transport operators and traders over the impact of taxation and fuel prices on business activities in Enugu State.