Category: City Beats

Transport fares yesterday hit an all-time high in Lagos.

Many spent hours at bus stops in anticipation of likely reduction in the transport fares without luck; they were left with no choice other than to board the available buses when they discovered that the motorists were not ready to shift ground.

Many workers trekked to their offices and businesses groaned under the rising costs of operations.

Transport fares were jerked up between 300 and 500 per cent.

Commuters paid N400 to board a bus from Ikotun to Cele Bus stops as against the usual N50 or N100, depending on time.

A commuter simply identified as Jide described a development where commuters paid N500 from Agbado to Oshodi as “crazy.”

Jide enjoined youths to stand for their rights, saying “this is becoming too much to bear.”

The Nation also learnt that people paid N300 from Mile 2 to CMS and N500 from CMS to Ajah.

“God has to intervene because tomorrow (today) transport fares will be really crazy,” said a commuter via Twitter.

Another one tweeted that commuters paid N500 from Aseese to Berger.

“When will these stops?” He asked.

Bus conductors were seen urging passengers from Lawanson to CMS to enter with N500 against the usual N200, while N150 was charged from Lawanson to Ojuelegba instead of N50.

Olatunde Fasanya, a student of the Lagos State University (LASU) decided not to go to school for lectures, saying N250 demanded by the motorists from Isheri to Iyana-Iba was outrageous.

“I don’t understand why I had to pay N300 from Ejigbo to Iyana-Isolo which normally costs N150. This crisis doesn’t recognise anyone; even policemen begged to buy fuel on Saturday at N200 per litre,” said Segun, a motorist.

There were long queues at various bus stops including Ilasamaja on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway; Oloosa on Agege Motor Road, Agboju on Badagry Expressway; Western Avenue, Orile, Mile 12 and Egbada among others, owing to fewer commercial vehicles on the roads.

Toyeeb Adebayo, a Supervisor at Wheel Oil and Gas in Mushin, said: “I boarded a bus from Ikotun to Cele at N400 instead of N50 or N100 depending on time. If it’s early in the morning, it’s N50, but it increases to N100 around 7am. From Cele to Iyana-Itire, I paid N100 instead of N30. I don’t know what they would charge at closing time,” he said.

Adebayo sought an immediate end to the scarcity, saying his salary would not meet up with the increased fares.

A worried motorist, Olukayode Lasisi said the fuel scarcity has  demonstrated the visionless leadership of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Lasisi called for the diversification of the economy, overhauling of the oil sector, repairs and building of new refineries.

He said that placement of camera on pipelines for effective monitoring would curb illegal bunkering

“The incoming government needs to sideline the marketers and fast-track registration of new ones. It will force them to bring price down because the fuel is available. They are hoarding it to make price reduction impossible. Government should roll out short-term policies that will fast-track mass transit project. This can be done strategically and systematically to edge out the fat-fed marketers,” Lasisi submitted.

Eni Olukotun, publisher of an online medium, www.completenewsng.com expressed deep concerns over the crisis, accusing the Jonathan administration of gross ineptitude and corruption.

Recounting how the fuel crisis had crippled his activities, Olukotun lamented: “Nigeria has never had it this bad; not even under the military junta of despotic General Sani Abacha. I never imagined buying a litre of petrol for N1,000. I might be forced to suspend our operation if the situation persists.”

The Managing Director, Bulk Chartering and Marine Logistics, George Porbeni said the impasse was having negative implications on his businesses. He said it had been challenging to move goods from the ports in Apapa to other parts of the country where they are needed.

He said many of his clients, especially, importers of goods are not ready to incur additional costs on such activities.

‘’ There has been lull in business activities since four weeks ago, when the fuel scarcity started. Prior to this, firms engaging in clearing and forwarding business had been finding it pretty difficult to cope due to high duties which made many operators to use ports in Benin Republic and other neighbouring countries. But with the fuel crisis worsening by the day, the problems of the operators have been compounded,” he said.

He said he had directed workers, whose services are not urgently needed to stay at home, pending when the fuel problems would abate.

‘’Why should one bother drivers to office every day, knowing well that there is no fuel to move goods or containers from Tincan Island or Wharf to their destinations, especially outside Lagos?

Outgoing President Jonathan’s government has shut doors on further negotiations with marketers because he was not ready to pay the balance of N200billion subsidy arrears demanded by them.

Amid this, marketers insist they were not going to resume importation until the Federal Government pay them the N209billion owed them.

Added to this was the strike action embarked upon by oil-transporting bodies to force the government to reverse the transfer of operatorship of Oil Mining Lease (OML), 40 Evecrest Production and Exploration Limited.

However, with the news of the suspension of the strike by the marketers last night, fuel users, especially commuters are expectant of imminent reprieve.