Abuja residents groan over hike in transport fare

Residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, have decried the increasing hike in transport fares.

According to the residents, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in the capital city, the hike in transport fares has also led to the high cost of commodities and services.

Residents said that as a result of this development, their finances could no longer cater for their other needs, such as electricity and water bills, health and especially feeding among others.

NAN recalls that since the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government on May 29, 2023, transport fares were increased astronomically. This has also led to fewer commercial vehicles plying the roads.

They urged the Federal Government to intervene by providing highly subsidised buses, saying this would go a long way in cushioning the effect of the high transport fares.

A National Youth Service Corps member, Miss Aisha Bajini, said it had become difficult for her to get to her place of primary assignment due to the high transport fare.

“It has not been easy for me to go to work since we started experiencing high transport fares.

“To worsen the situation, anytime I come out, I spend most of my time on the road looking for vehicles, because before the vehicle gets to where I am it is already filled with passengers,” she said.

She said the situation had affected her so much that she paid twice the transport fare to get to work when she eventually found a vehicle.

“This has now made me trekking halfway from home to reduce the transport fare, and I end up being exhausted by the time I get to my place of work,’’ she said.

Miss Princess Uye, a private sector worker said that with the high transportation fare, it was costing her more to get to the office.

“I used to pay N300 to N400 from Nyanya to Julius Berger Junction but now I am paying N700 in a day. Where are we going in this country?” she queried.

Miss Treasure Umar, a civil servant said, “If it is not that it is boring to stay at home, I would have stopped going to work because I am not gaining anything at the end of the month.

“I am just making money to spend on transport and not for anything else that can help me move forward in life.”

Umar, who appealed to the government to intervene, said the situation was becoming unbearable for the younger generation who had finished their education without tangible means of livelihood.

“Last Tuesday, I had to trek home after I came down at my bus stop which is far away from my house because the money I had on me was spent on just transport and I had nothing left.

“Is this how we are going to survive in Nigeria, is this how we are going to fight poverty in the country if the little we have cannot sustain us?”

Similarly, Mr Petter Edache, said he now pays N900 from Dei-Dei to Berger as against N200 he used to pay.

Edache said commercial motorcyclists operating within his area were now charging between N200 and N300 to different destinations as against N100.

He pleaded that the situation be addressed as it was not easy for both government and private sector workers let alone Nigerians who were not working.

Mr Shuaybu Bulama, a commercial driver, attributed the high cost of transport to the removal of subsidy on premium motor spirit (popularly called petrol).

“Fuel is now very expensive, we have no other choice but to increase transport fares,’’ he said.