Commercial drivers in the commercial city of Lagos have lamented low patronage as commuters resort to trekking long distances following a sharp increase in transport fares occasioned by hikes in petrol pump price.
BusinessDay correspondent, who visited some public parks in the city centre including the popular CMS Motor Park, Ojota Motor Park, and Yaba observed low turnout of passengers.
BusinessDay reports that in the city, a litre of petrol now sells for between N950 and N998 at the NNPC and N1,050 to N1,100 in other outlets in the state resulting in the hike of transport fares.
After nearly nine years since the AllProgressives Congress (APC) took over power from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the performance of the ruling party and its delivery of campaign promises have continued to agitate the minds of many critical observers. Not a few believe that the party, which came with various promises to Nigerians, has dashed their hopes and expectations.
Lasisi Ojuade, a motorist at one of the parks, said the government should be blamed for the situation in the country.
“This is not what we bargained for. This government promised us that they were going to address all the challenges we witnessed from the past administration, but it is unfortunate that we are in the same situation and even worse.
“Unlike before, when you come here, you will see passengers boarding cars to travel to their various destinations, including those travelling outside the city. But today, the situation is bad; things have changed.
“Some people only come here to make enquiries and go back, because they are looking for where the fare is cheaper,” he said.
Another motorist, who pleaded anonymity, attributed the situation to an increase in the pump price of petrol which he said had resulted in adjustments in the transport fares.
He called on the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to come up with a workable solution to address the issue in the interest of the people.
“As you can see now, due to this increment, many people prefer to trek half of their journey before boarding buses. Some are begging us to cut down the fare, which is not our fault. Honestly, I don’t know where we are heading to in this country,” he said.
Another resident, Babajide Taiwo said that he decided to trek some distance as part of the strategies to cut down on his expenditure on transport.
“We are complaining of high transport fares and cost of living, yet they continue to increase fuel prices. We are already suffering as a result of harsh economic policies, which have brought untold hardship and they are making the situation worse by increasing the pump price of petrol,” he said.
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