… Motorists, commuters, businesses suffer
With worker’s day just around the corner, a crippling petrol crisis has thrown a wrench into the plans of many motorists, commuters and businesses in Nigeria’s commercial capital.
In most countries, May 1 is the annual Workers’ Day celebration is a time for reflection and celebration of labour rights. For most Nigerians, the focus has shifted to the struggle to simply get around and keep businesses afloat.
On Tuesday, BusinessDay’s survey showed motorists face long queues and exorbitant prices, commuters struggle with inflated transportation costs, and businesses grapple with disruptions as the city grapples with a fuel shortage.
“The parades and rallies seem meaningless as navigating the city to get to work has become an ordeal,” Peace Okey, a staff of a tier-one bank said while narrating her ordeal.
Read also: Petrol marketers say logistics hitch causing fuel queues in FCT
In some parts of Lagos, passengers were made to pay higher fares for intra-city transportation.
Richard Ijie, a commercial bus driver, who plies Cele to Obalende, complained that the fuel scarcity had made driving a difficult job for them as they struggled to get fuel for their buses.
He stated that the current situation forced them to increase transport fares from the initial N1,000 to N1,200, adding that the development was greeted with protests from passengers.
He said, “The truth is that the fuel scarcity is biting harder and harder every day. What we see every day is long queues everywhere and the prices are not the same at filling stations. Though passengers complain every day, there is nothing we can do about it because we buy fuel at a high cost and we need to make profit. We have to add a little amount to the old fare.’’
A passenger, Aminu Sadiq, who shuttles between Oshodi and Mile 2, said he paid N600 to a commercial bus instead of N200.
Transportation fare for routes like Oke Afa to Ikotun, which was previously N500 is now N1,000. Oshodi to Jakande Gate was raised to N1, 000 from 500 naira.
More details later…
