The price per litre of Premium Motor Sprit otherwise known as petrol rose to N250 over the weekend in some filling stations across some busiest cities in the country as fuel scarcity bites harder, Daily Trust can reveal.
The situation has made trips for yuletide hectic as many commuters who throng to motor parks to travel were left stranded.
Some drivers who spoke to our reporters said they were forced to buy petrol at N250 per litre in some stations, otherwise to stay in kilometres-long queues.
Our reporters during a survey across major cities including Jos, Lagos, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Abuja yesterday observed the helpless nature of passengers who are struggling to reach their destinations for the holidays.
A survey in Abuja revealed that the average rates for fares have increased by about 44 per cent for many routes. For instance, the union said Abuja to Sokoto which was at N4,500 had risen to N8,000 showing a N3,500 increase since last week.
The fare for Abuja to Lokoja rose from N1,500 to N2,500, Abuja to Kaduna rose to N3,000 from about N2,000 earlier charged; the fare to Kano also rose to N3,500 from N2,800 earlier at Nyanya park; a passenger now pays N5,500 from Abuja to Ilorin instead of N3,800 being charged before, the drivers said.
Malam Abubakar Dutsenwai, a driver at Nyanya said a trip to Kano is now N3,500 instead of N2,500 they were collecting as fare last week. “Even at this, it has not solved our problem as we are at the mercy of the filling stations who sell above pump price,” he said.
At the Lagos park in Utako-Abuja, a passenger, Mrs Mary Ozoude said she paid N11,000 for a fare that used to be N7,000 just 10 days ago.
Only few fuel stations were seen dispensing fuel yesterday in Jos, Plateau state capital with some selling at N230 a litre while the long queues spanning two to three kilometres especially at NNPC mega stations.
At the NTA motor park along Yakubu Gowon way, Jummai Ibrahim who was seen alighting from a vehicle from Kaduna said she left her home in Kaduna for the Television garage park at 7am but was surprised to find nearly 50 passengers stranded.
In Lagos, there was no respite for commuters travelling to other different locations as at yesterday, as air fares remain high and passengers were stranded at motor parks, the survey showed.
Commuters at some of the motor parks amidst the biting fuel scarcity said many inter-city transportation fares have virtually quadrupled since Friday.
For instance, Lagos to Kogi fare which was around N5,000 was N14,000 as at Christmas Eve while Abuja fare rose from about N8,000 to 15,000. At Jibowu park, transport fare to Calabar, Cross Rivers State was also N15,000.
It was a shock for James Nwenneri who was travelling to Enugu state when he learnt of the 13,000 fare. “The highest I have ever paid for Enugu trip was N8,000; I can’t believe this. And it is not that the vehicle is available. We still have to wait,” he said.
On air fares, the cost of ticket has risen slightly with a 50 – minute flight from Lagos to Abuja going for N45,000 per trip. Dana Air flight from Lagos to Abuja was N33,000, while the rate for Air Peace was N43,000; Lagos – Uyo flight on Air Peace starts from N41,000 yesterday.
Some travellers confirmed that they bought the Lagos to Abuja flight ticket for N26,000 two weeks ahead of their travel schedule.
A ticket clerk for one of the bus transport companies at the part, Janet Okoronkwo said the scarcity was not just for petrol alone but diesel too and that it affected the rates for luxury buses.
“Our drivers have to queue to get diesel or petrol and so we now charge N11,000 for small buses and N9,000 for luxury buses because we buy a litre of petrol at over N250 from Lokoja till we reach Lagos,” Janet explained.
The Deputy State Chairman, FCT Chapter of NURTW, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaji called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the fuel scarcity issue before saboteurs would bring the government down to its knees.
For the hike in air fare, spokesman of Air Peace, Mr Chris Iwarah said, “The cost of tickets depend on how close your booking is”, adding that it is not correct that the airline has increased fares.
