It was 20th day on Tuesday since the beginning of the promised transport fares reduction made by President Bola Tinubu, but commuters and motorists have yet to heave a sigh of relief.
This is as Nigerians residing in the South Eastern part of the country continued to grapple with high petrol prices and increasing transport fares.
Although the Federal Government had announced fuel discount initiative of N1,350 per litre, motorists in several states of the South East have found this to be a mirage as many have been paying between N1,400 and N1,500 per litre at some Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited stations.
In Anambra State, petrol sold between N1,450 and N1,500 per litre on Monday and Tuesday, triggering a sharp increase in transport fares for both intra-and inter-state travels.
Findings by our correspondent across major cities in the state, including Onitsha, Nnewi, Ekwulobia and parts of Awka showed that the price of the commodity has been high, thereby creating concerns among motorists and other users.
Although the NNPC mega and mini retail outlets in Awka sold at reduced rates, most of them did not open while some that opened did not dispense petrol.
Our correspondent gathered that fares for intra-city trips have remained unstable on a daily basis, with transporters charging according to how much they bought petrol each day.
For instance, commuters pay between N300 to N400 for routes that previously cost N200, while fares that were N500 rose to between N800 to N1,000.
At the Upper Iweka Motor Park in Onitsha, transporters charged about N2,000 for trips from Onitsha to Awka, up from between N1,000 and N1,500 previously.
Commuters travelling to neighbouring states also experienced similar increases.
At the Star Sunny Motor Park, Onitsha fares from Onitsha to Awka and Enugu rose significantly by extra N2,000.
The situation also affected the cost of goods and services across markets visited, with traders and service providers attributing the increase to rising fuel and transport costs.
Transport operators attributed the increase in fares to the rising price of petrol, noting that the situation had worsened in recent days.
A commercial driver at Solution Park in Awka, Chukwudi Ezeh, said, “The increase in fares is expected as a result of the increase in the pump price of petrol.
“The increase started early last week when it was sold for N1,300 and it continued until it got to about N1,450 over the weekend.”
Another transporter at Nnewi Triangle Park, Chidi Onyekachukwu, said the hike had affected drivers’ earnings.
“Our daily income has been badly affected by the instability in the price of fuel. To recoup these costs, we have no choice but to raise fares slightly so we can still make a take-home income,” he said.
A commuter at Star Sunny Park in Onitsha, Ifeoma Obiora, a civil servant who lives in Onitsha but works in Awka, said she paid N2,000 for a one-way trip during the week, up from N1,500.
Fuel in Abia sells for N1,370, N1,400
Our correspondent reports that fuel in Abia sells between N1,370 and N1,400, as motorists insist that the commodity is still costly.
Chikezie Okezie, a mini-bus driver said, “Are we going back or forward? Nigeria as an oil producing country should not be facing such a predicament. Transportation is still high”.
Joel Egwim, a bus driver plying Umuahia and Aba said, drivers had yet to witness any reduction in fuel price, pointing out that drivers are not happy.
Though there are no long queue, scarcity, or restriction linked to the new prices, Mrs Ekeoma Njikonye, a perishable items trader, Georgina Okere, a civil servant and Mabel Otuonye, an SS3 student said the prevailing fuel affect their daily activities, and called on the Federal Government to intervene.
The student said, “Reduction in transport fare can only come through reduction in fuel prices.”
No fuel discount in Imo – drivers
In Imo State, commercial drivers decried the poor implementation of the fuel discount.
A commercial bus driver, who gave his name as Ozoamaka noted that nothing has changed since the Federal Government’s announcement of fuel discount.
He said, “We are still buying fuel at high prices. NNPC sells at over N1,400. You will notice that if there actually a reduction in NNPC stations, there will be queues at the NNPC fuel stations”.
A tricycle driver, who gave his name simply as Mr. Uwaiz, pointed out that the fuel discount is on paper.
“There is nothing like fuel discount. Today, independent marketers are selling at N1390 and drivers prefer to buy from there than going to NNPC fuel stations because there is no difference. Transportation fare has remained the same. We expect a drop in fare as a result of the discount, but there’s no impact “.
In major areas of Owerri, the state capital, no marketer sells above N1,380 per litre, while fuel price fluctuates between N1,350 and N1,400 other areas.
A fuel attendant in one of the NNPC stations in Owerri, who declined to be identified, said there had not been improved sales despite the N66 reduction per litre.
“I don’t remember selling to more than five people with the fuel price reduction. I think the challenge is that people don’t have money to buy more. Except inter-state vehicle drivers, people don’t buy more than 20 litres and those people buy like once a week”, he said.
A civil servant in Yenagoa, Stephen Amaebi, who travels to Owerri every weekend because of his family, adding that transport costs remained the same N7,000 irrespective of the claims of price reduction.
A student, Nkechi Okere said, “I still spend between N600 and N1,000 from World bank to IMSU daily and the price changes when it rains because of some greedy drivers”.