Christmas travel rush hits Jos motor parks as passenger traffic surges

With less than two weeks to Christmas, motor parks across Jos, the Plateau State capital, are witnessing a surge in passenger traffic as people rush to travel and reunite with their families and loved ones for the festive season.

When BusinessDay visited some major parks in Jos on Monday, including Plateau Riders at Taminus, Valgee Park in the Old Airport area, and the Government Park along the Bukuru Expressway, it was observed that the parks were filled to capacity as early travellers struggled to secure seats.

Read also: Local airfares jump over 100% on Christmas demand

At the parks visited, long queues of passengers were seen waiting patiently, while others hurried to make advance bookings for fear of being stranded closer to Christmas.

Many travellers said the rush had intensified in recent days, forcing some passengers to spend hours before getting a vehicle to convey them to their destinations.

Joy Sambe, who was travelling to Benue State, said she spent more than four hours at the park waiting for a vehicle, explaining that vehicles were loading and departing in quick succession.

Similarly, Mark Ibrahim, a passenger heading to Niger State, described the experience as stressful but necessary, noting that the early rush was better than risking last-minute travel delays.

An official of Plateau Riders, who spoke to BusinessDay on condition of anonymity, confirmed the increase in passenger turnout, noting that the influx began last week.

The official added that apart from travellers, many people also visited the parks to send waybills, attributing the growing activity to early Christmas preparations by residents.

Despite the increased number of travellers, checks at the parks revealed that transport fares remained unchanged from what passengers paid in previous months.