Passengers travelling to various states to participate in the presidential election holding Saturday were stranded at Abuja motor parks yesterday.
City News learnt that there were large turnout of commuters, especially those travelling to the northern states, causing a slight fare hike and scarcity of vehicles.
Some passengers, who had earlier gone to the train station, but missed the train and came to the park to travel by road, were also seen stranded waiting for vehicles at Jabi and Mabushi parks.
Some of the commuters who spoke with our reporters lamented that they set off early but were yet to get vehicles late in the afternoon.
Sani Kano Rigiyar Lemu, who was travelling to Kano said, “I have been here since morning and up till this moment I haven’t boarded a vehicle and I was told that there is increment in the transport fare that we usually pay when we are travelling.’’
Asked why he must travel, he said he had to go and vote for the candidates of his choice that would bring development to Nigeria.
Another passenger, Isah Bala, who spent about 40 minutes waiting for a vehicle also showed dissatisfaction about the way passengers struggle to get on board as soon as a vehicle arrives. “Since I arrived here commuters have been scrambling for vehicles; if you don’t scramble, you won’t get a seat,” he said.
The operators of the park explained the scarcity and the transport fare hike. Abdullahi Muhammad who is among the operators of the park said, “the hike in the fare is because the drivers when they get to the destinations they won’t get passengers coming back again, especially those going to Kaduna. Once they reach Kaduna, they will not find passengers back to Abuja,” he said.
