Following the current fuel scarcity hitting parts of Nigeria, including Lagos state, motorists have hiked the prices of transportation in the state.
On Monday, major bus stops were crowded with business owners, corporate workers and other residents of the state finding it difficult to reach their various destinations due to fuel scarcity.
Motorists who spoke with our correspondent blamed the scarcity of fuel as the reason for the hike.
One of the commercial bus drivers, Sunday Joseph decried the amount he bought fuel in spite of the high cost of living.
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“I bought fuel at N1,000 per litre after several hours in the queue. How many fuel stations operate? The few ones available sell for a short time at exorbitant prices. The hike and scarcity of fuel price has affected a lot” Joseph said.
He advised the federal government to promptly reduce the price by reversing fuel scarcity.
Transport fare from Oworonshoki to Obalende which initially cost a maximum of N500 on Monday jumped to N700 while some other drivers pegged their prices at N1,000 and other N1500.
Our correspondent observed that despite these prices that vary, the population of travellers increased more due to shortage of available buses.
A resident of Lagos, Ajayi Babalola, who expressed his grievances over the hike urged the government to find a lasting solution to the incessant fuel hike.
“This is not the first or second time this will be happening. Yet, rather than resolve this, Hangover refinery was initially battled before it was resolved. People are suffering,” he said.
The Ojodu-Berger-based resident called on President Bola Tinubu to “bring back fuel subsidy. It costs him nothing. He removed it in a day, he can reverse it as well.”
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has instructed gas stations across the country to cease selling Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, in jerry cans while the federal government has threatened to withdraw the operating licenses of oil marketers involved in the hoarding of petrol as scarcity of the product continues in many parts of the country.
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Tinubu had on August 4 dismissed the call for the return fuel subsidy, stating that he is focused fully on delivering governance to the people.
“For decades, our economy has remained anaemic and taken a dip because of many misalignments that have stunted our growth. Just over a year ago, our dear country, Nigeria, reached a point where we couldn’t afford to continue the use of temporary solutions to solve long-term problems for the sake of now and our unborn generations.
“I, therefore, took the painful yet necessary decision to remove fuel subsidies and abolish multiple foreign exchange systems which had constituted a noose around the economic jugular of our Nation and impeded our economic development and progress,” he said.
BusinessDay reported that protesters of #EndBadGovernance in one of their demands during the August 1-10 protests agitated for the reversal of fuel subsidy.
Also, there was an increase in transport costs in some parts of Ogun state including Mowe, Magboro, Ibafo, Arepo inward Lagos Mainland and Island.
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