Passengers in Kwara have lamented hike in transportation fare over the persistent fuel scarcity.
The passengers complained how transportation fare has been increased by commercial transporters up to about 100 or 50 percent from the normal price.
A passenger, Moyin Oladeji, said he now spends N300 or N400 sometimes between Tanke to Taiwo instead of N200.
Another passenger, Mrs Adaku Emmanuel, said she now spends N300 on transport from Ganmo to Post office instead of between N100 and N150, depending on the type of vehicle or the driver one patronises.
“I work in Geri Alimi and usually board the taxi when going to office. I pay more on other commercial transportation when coming back home due to fuel scarcity,” another passenger, Mr Vincent Tony, said.
However, taxi drivers and the Okada riders in Kwara have hinged the increase in transportation fare on the persistent fuel scarcity as many of them now have to depend on black market.
They ascribed the increase in transportation fare to the increase in the price of petrol at filling stations in the state.
In an interview with newsmen in Kwara on Monday, some of the transporters revealed how they have only been able to buy black market at high prices.
A commercial driver, Mr Nurudeen Abdulkareem, who plies between Taiwo and Post Office, lamented how he was in a queue for the past three days at a filling station in Taiwo Oke and still could not get fuel.
Abdulkareem said he had to buy from black market, paying N7000 for 25 litres of petrol, instead of buying at the normal price.
He said, “I have to increase my fare because I have to recover my money and also make a profit.”
Another commercial driver, who shuttles between Offa Garage and Geri Alimi, Mr Taiwo Bankole, said he bought five litres of fuel at the black market rate of N1,500 and he increased the fare from N150 to N200 to enable him to recover his money.
“Government should please look into the matter and help the poor to survive,” Bankole said.
Okanlawon Taiwo