The Union of Congolese drivers, (ACCO), suspended Monday evening a three-day strike against police harassment, the association’s Vice-President Jean Mutombo told “Radio Okapi”.
“The strike has effectively been lifted, the ASBLs that were responsible for the strike have been instructed to lift the strike”, Mutombo said.
ACCO members launched on Monday a three-day strike to condemn police arrest and illegal detention of taxi drivers even when their documents are in order.
The protest, Anadolu news agency reports, severely affected the eastern part of the city with several people mainly students, employees, vendors and workers unable to commute to their various places.
“We are tired of everything that’s going on in our city, especially when it comes to transportation. The traffic police (PCR) gives us a hard time, even if you have all the right documents,” one taxi driver told the Turkish news agency.
“As users, this works against us, because for a journey we used to pay 1,000 Congolese francs (0.4 euros), the price has now risen to 2,000 francs (0.8 euros), due to the current transport situation. Sometimes, we’re forced to do the health walk because of this situation,” another protestor told the news outlet.
Mutombo told “Radio Okapi” that the strike was suspended because local authorities have heeded to their concerns. “The drivers’ grievances were brought to the attention of the Minister of the Interior, the Provincial Commissioner of Police and the Provincial Minister of Transport. They have come up with solutions to ensure that peace reigns and that the drivers, in turn, are able to comply with the instructions given, including respect for the Highway Code”, he added.