Transport operators in
Lagos on Tuesday lamented the lingering fuel scarcity in the country and urged
the Federal Government to take urgent measures to resolve the crisis, to
forestall a complete breakdown of their business activities.
The operators, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in interviews in
Lagos, said that the ongoing fuel crisis had become a clog in their regular
business operations.
NAN reports that the ongoing fuel crisis had adversely affected transport fares
for destinations both within and outside the Lagos metropolis.
NAN checks revealed that Agege to Yaba or Alausa now goes for N400 and N150,
instead of N150 and N70 respectively, while Iyana-Ipaja to Oshodi is pegged at
N300, instead of N100.
From Ikorodu Garage in Lagos to Ogijo in Ogun State, along the Ikorodu-Sagamu
Road, is now N200, instead of N100, while the fare from Ikorodu to Mile 12 is
now N250, instead of N150.
Also, a trip from Lagos to Abakaliki which was between N3, 000 and N3, 200 now
goes for between N4, 000 and N4, 500.
A one-way trip from Lagos to Enugu, Onitsha and Owerri which were formerly N3,
100, N2, 100 and N3, 100, respectively, is now pegged at N3,800, N2,500, and
N3,800, respectively.
A driver, Mr Tunde Ajani, who operates the Oshodi to Orile Iganmu route told NAN
that the transport business had not only become stressful but was no longer
lucrative because of the hardships encountered in the pursuit of fuel.
``On the days I want to buy fuel without patronising the black market, l spend
more than two hours at the filling station and you know what that means to the
business.
``I will at the end of the day make my delivery to the owner of the bus, who
does not care about how and where I get my petrol.
``It has become a ritual of headaches and worries each I think of where the
5-litre petrol might come from,’’ he said.
Another driver, Mr Francis Osoko, who plies the Ikorodu to Yaba route, said he
spends more of his daily income on petrol from alternative sellers, otherwise
known as the `black market.’
``Some filling stations in Ikorodu sell one litre for between N180 and N190,
depending on where you go, while the black market now sells 10 litres of petrol
for as much as N4,000.
``So, government should find a solution to this suffering, because it is we the
poor people that are bearing the brunt,’’ he said.
Mr Chika Obinna, who plies the Oworonsoki-Lagos Island route, said that the
situation had prevented him from venturing out either in search of petrol or
getting behind the wheels.
Mr John Ezaka, the General Manager of Christ Light Transport Company, whose
vehicles ply the Lagos-Abakaliki route, told NAN that sales have reached an
all-time low.
``We have 50 buses on our fleet located in our three parks in Lagos, Ijebu-Ode
and Abakaliki.
``But since the beginning of the year, our business has been experiencing a lot
of challenges, particularly the scarcity of fuel.
``We have had to increase our transport fares from the N3, 200 to N4, 200, but
we discovered that many people are now afraid to travel because they are not
able to afford our new fares.
``In the past, a total of three or four buses departed Lagos for our various
destinations daily, but now, we would be lucky to have even one full bus daily.
``It wasn’t this bad last year, so our sales have seriously reduced,’’ he said.
Mr Innocent Orji, a driver at Okeyson Transport Company in Ikorodu, also said
that apart from the increased transport fares, the situation had affected
average travel time.
``Even at that, the queue is so long that sometimes you spend about two hours
before getting to the pump. Imagine what that does to the total travel time.
``So, it is not a good experience for either the driver or the passengers,” he
said.
NAN reports that the situation has also affected the charges of some commercial
motorcyclists who dare to operate along some restricted routes in the state.
For instance, a ride from Sabo in Ikorodu, to Ogijo in Ogun State had doubled
from N150 to N250, while Ikorodu to Mile 12 now costs between N600 and N1, 000.
Meanwhile, some passengers who spoke to NAN described the situation as
``unbearable’’.
Mr Jericho Adeyinka, a fashion designer who works on the Island said: ``the
fuel wahala has almost crippled my business. I can no longer go to the office
regularly because I cannot afford the fares, neither am I able to buy petrol
for my generator.
``So, what I have decided to do is to work from home on certain days, so that I
don't disappoint my clients,’’ he added.
Meanwhile, many workers in Lagos were stranded at various bus stops within the
Lagos metropolis on Tuesday, following the lingering nationwide fuel scarcity.
NAN correspondents who monitored the traffic situation in various parts of the
Lagos metropolis reported that workers stood for hours at the various bus
stops, waiting for vehicles to convey them to their destinations.
It was also observed that the gridlocks on some major roads in the city were
caused by long queues of vehicles at fuel stations within the metropolis.
Many commuters who could not continue to remain in the traffic resorted to
trekking.
Mr Williams Dada, an Accountant said, ``it is unfortunate that we find
ourselves in this kind of hardship. Things are really becoming difficult for us
as a people.
``I brought my car out but when I saw the heavy traffic along the Lagos-Abeokuta
Expressway, I parked it somewhere to board commercial vehicle because I have
just a little fuel left."
Dada urged the relevant authorities to save workers from suffering further
pains because of fuel scarcity.
A Civil Servant at the Maryland bus stop who pleaded anonymity said, "I am
actually going to my workplace at Falomo, but getting a vehicle is just not
easy.
``I don't know when I will get to the office today, but it can't be earlier
than 11 a.m. because this is already a few minutes after 9 a.m., meanwhile I
left my house at Ayobo by 6:15 a.m.."
Mrs Tayo Akinwande, a nurse, said she had waited long at the Mushin bus stop
for over two hours without a bus to convey her to Yaba.
``The few commercial buses in operation complained that fuel was not only expensive
but also scarce,'' Akinwande said.
Miss Lucy Anikwe, a student of Computer Science at the University of Lagos,
said she had her shoes torn, having walked from Cement bus stop along the
Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway to Ikeja.
``'You can see the way I am sweating, I was at the bus stop for over one hour
45 minutes before I decided to walk and after my sandal got spoilt, I resorted
to walking barefooted.
``This problem of fuel scarcity started in November 2015 and it should be
solved urgently, as it is exposing people to a lot of stress,’’ Anikwe said.
Mr Olanrewaju Dunmiju, the Manager of Motlan Printing and Press at Oshodi, said
he was stranded at Iyana-Paja for over three hours before he decided to walk to
the next bus stop.
``I have a lot of work to do at the office, so I can't afford to waste my time
waiting endlessly at the bus stop because those I met there are still there,’’
Dunmiju said.
Also a Civil Servant, who preferred anonymity, said that fuel scarcity had made
transportation fares to increase, to such an extent that he had to wait longer
at bus stops for cheap vehicles.
``The fares have increased so much. Most drivers complained that a litre of
fuel now sells for between N150 to N160 at petrol stations and above in black
markets," she added. (NAN)
