LAGOS – Some commuters in Lagos on Tuesday expressed worries over the inability of transporters to reduce fares, a week after oil marketers suspended their strike and started lifting petroleum products.
Those who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) alleged that commercial bus operators were yet to reduce transport fares despite the availability of fuel.
A civil servant, Mr Pius Alade, said he wondered why the operators had not reverted their fares to what they used to charge be before the strike.
“Why is it always difficult to effect quick positive change than quick negative change on things in this country,’’ he asked.
A trader, Mrs Aderanti Ajao, told NAN that the hike was affecting their sales, saying patronage was very low now.
“The cost of transporting foodstuffs to Lagos from the northern part of the country is very high now and we have to sell the way we bought.
“We pray that the whole situation will be normalised before the commencement of Ramadan, when Muslim faithful are expected to fast ,” Ajao said.
A commercial bus operator, Mr Timothy Ajeigbe, told NAN that not many filling stations were selling petrol, adding that, a few of them were allegedly selling beyond the approved pump price.
“I bought fuel for N120 per litre as against the N87 which is the official price, ‘’ adding: “my employer did not reduce my daily delivery, how do I meet up if I do not increase the fares,” Ajeigbe said.
Another operator who simply identified himself as Maxwell said that the operators were very fair because the transport business was very unprofitable.
NAN also reports that commercial bus drivers now charge N200 as the transport fare on each passenger for a trip from Costain to Ikeja and Mile 12 as against N150.
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Also the fare from Palm Groove to Orile-Iganmu now cost N150 as against the former N100.
NAN also reports that the oil marketers suspended their two weeks’ strike on May 27. (NAN)
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