Many commuters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) found themselves stranded at bus stops on Tuesday due to a sudden and steep increase in transport fares.
The fare hike occurred just hours after the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) raised the pump price of fuel to N855 per litre.
Commuters shared their frustrations with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), revealing that the fares they paid in the morning to get to work had almost doubled by the afternoon, leaving many without enough money to return home.
Miss Amina Yusuf, a clerk, recounted her experience, saying, “I paid N1,000 from my house in Gudu to Garki where I work, only to leave work now and realize the fare was almost doubled. I was standing at the Phototech junction with several commuters who did not have enough money to board a vehicle until I saw a colleague who bailed me out.”
Mr. Kingsley Okoye, another commuter, expressed his dismay over the financial strain caused by the fare hikes. “Instead of N250 from Apo to Gudu, I was charged N400. I had to look for where to make a withdrawal and get more cash so I would not get stranded at work. This situation is not fair at all. The government is not looking at the suffering of Nigerians,” Okoye lamented.
Mrs. Jennifer Fabian, who used to spend N200 commuting from Nyanya to the city center, now finds herself paying N1,200 for the same journey. “This increase will definitely trickle down to affect virtually everything in the economy, especially the cost of food, which is already high. President Bola Tinubu should do something about this because we Nigerians are suffering,” she urged.
Similarly, Mr. Ahmed Musa, a trader at Wuse Market, shared his concerns about the rising costs of transportation. “What used to cost me N300 now costs N600, which is just one way. With how things are going, I might have to consider closing my shop earlier than usual to save on transport costs. The timing is terrible because schools are about to resume, and parents are struggling to pay school fees,” Musa said.
The sudden surge in transport fares has left many commuters calling for immediate government intervention to alleviate the burden on the already struggling populace.
As the ripple effects of the fuel price hike continue to spread, many Nigerians are bracing for further economic challenges.
Post A Comment: