Wilfred Enow Agbor
Yaounde, Cameroon
Students from University of Yaoundé II Soa constitute about 90 percent of transportation business around the locality. Bus and taxi drivers are very busy during school period. They ply the road to transport students and goods to and from Soa, and carry traders who bring goods to sell to students.
Most often students heir taxi drivers in attempt to catch up with time, since buses take too long to get full before leaving for Soa. Nonetheless, during school period, drivers make several trips to and from Soa to make enough money for bus owners.
Camair Motor Park, Yaounde
The situation becomes different when students go on holidays. Activities come to a stand still. This becomes difficult for drivers to reach their quotas as agreed by their employers. In order to avoid any trouble amongst both parties, the president of the association of Soa transporters and loaders known in French as ASSOCIATION DES CHAUFFEURS ET CHARGEURS DE SOA, Mr Essomba Prosper told iCameroon that he has called for a general assembly where he sent letters to bus owners to inform them
Mr. Essomba Prosper, President of ASSOCIATION DES CHAUFFEURS ET CHARGEURS DE SOA
that quotas payments from drivers to bus owners would be reduced by 5,000 Francs CFA. This means that any driver whose initial daily payment was set to 20,000 Francs was now reduced to 15,000 Francs. In this regard, drivers will not be pushed in situations that will make them destroy vehicles in attempt to reach quotas.
Mr Essomba Prosper further explained that he has brought order at the motor parks since he took office. iCameroonhad
Onana Jules a driver of a Mercedes bus with 22 seats.
an interview with Mr. Prosper, the head of the association. Here are some excerpts:
What innovations have you brought to the association since you took over as president?
Essomba Prosper : There have been a lot of innovations.
Firstly, I have implemented bus stops at Texaco Omnisport, Mobile Omnisport, and Total Ngousso. These are places where buses pick up and drop passengers. The reason we created these buss stops is that any person living around this area will not have to travel a far distance before catching a bus to Soa. It has become easy and less stressful for passengers to go to Soa from nearby buss stops.
Secondly, these new stops permit us to fish out illegal transporters who are not members of the association.
Thirdly, every driver must only load when it happens to be his turn thereby respecting the line system.
What does it take one to become a member of your association?
Essomba Prosper : There exist two criteria, one for drivers and the other for loaders. For drivers, the requirements are a valid driver’s license with at least category B, a photocopy of national identity card, a form bearing the name and place of birth, contact address of the applicant, and a registration fee of 5,000 Francs CFA.
The bus conductor has to provide a photocopy of national identity card, a form with contact address and a 5,000 Francs CFA registration fee.
Apart from becoming a member, are there any benefits from the association?
Essomba Prosper : Yes, any driver or bus conductor who is about to get married is supported with the sum of 300,000 Francs from the coffers of the association. In addition, all members of the association individually contribute the sum of 2,000 Francs CFA each which will then be given to support the marrying member.
Death is inevitable but if a member of the association dies, the association provides a coffin, clothing for the corps, transportation of the corps plus a financial support of 100,000 Francs CFA.
Is it true that some loaders are drivers?
Essomba Prosper : Yes we train loaders to became drivers, but on one condition that they go to driving schools to obtain authentic drivers license before they can drive. This is to avoid accidents. We, from time to time, register accidents but most of this accidents result from illegal drivers. Hence we do not want this to happen any longer.
In order to know what the drivers experience in the field, iCameroon spoke to Onana Jules a driver of a Mercedes bus with 22 seats and to Gana Parfait, a driver of an 18-seater Toyota bus.
How much do you make during busy times?
Onana Jules : When students are around I can make about 7 trips which bring in 20,000 Francs for my employer. However, now that students are on vacation I can only make 4 trips with a less revenue of 15,000 Francs CFA.
What do you tell your employer?
Onana Jules : I tell my employer to reduce the initial amount from 20,000 to 15,000 Francs CFA because they are less passengers.
Gana Parfait : I am a driver of a 18-seater buss. When students are not on vacation I make 20,000 Francs after 7 trips, but now I can only make 10, 000 Francs after 4 trips, so I only tell my employer to understand the state of affairs that students are on holidays. Therefore there aren’t enough passengers.
There is no doubt drivers of buses transporting students to and from Soa are facing difficulties in generating money for themselves and for their bosses during holidays. However, they can’t wait for the return of students.
