Xmas: Nigerians Groan, As Passengers Stranded After Hike In Transport Fares

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

Passengers travelling for the Christmas holidays to other parts of the country were seen stranded at most bus terminals as they discovered that they had to pay more for fares hiked up by as much as 100 percent.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that some of the passengers were stranded at the various parts while some had to go back to their homes and cancelled their trips. Findings showed that despite  the economic challenges in the country, there were so many people who were willing to travel to celebrate with their relations.

Some of the parks and bus terminals visited included Oshodi, Yaba, Okota, Ojota, Surulere, Iyana Ipaja, Agege, Ikotun etc. It was the same in all the places visited and passengers were seen groaning over the hike.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that mostly affected were passengers travelling to Delta, Edo, Rivers, parts of the South East, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.

Some of the bus terminals visited were GUO Motors, Liberal Motors, Izuchukwu Transport Company, God is Good Motors, Peace Motors among others. Their prices varied from one terminal to the other.

For instance, a ticket to Asaba, Port Harcourt, Onitsha, Nnewi and Ekwulobia in Anambra State was sold for N10,000 unlike before the season when it sold for N4,500. Other states like Enugu and Ebonyi went for N12,000 while states like Cross River and Akwa Ibom was for N15,000 and above, unlike before when it was sold for N7,000.

P.M.EXPRESS tried to find out why the price was much higher despite the economic situation when compared to the last Christmas and some of the transport company managers had already made answers.

They said that the issue of the recent fuel scarcity contributed greatly as there was panic and drivers were finding difficult to buy petrol even at a higher price.

A manager of a popular transport company said that apart from the petrol situation, that when drivers carry passengers down to their destinations they usually returned empty to carry more passengers. So they have to pass the burden of returning empty to the passengers and bear other losses in the course of the trip.

Another manager simply known as Mike said there were many passengers with few vehicles to transport them to their destinations and in such situation he said there was bound to be increase in transport fares.

Some of the passengers who spoke to P.M.EXPRESS expressed shock over such increment which they described as the highest over the years.
They however blamed it on government who had not genuinely tried to address the transport system in Nigeria.