Holidaymakers groan as ROAD transport fares skyrocket – Daily Sun
By Kate Halim
Travelling to the village to celebrate Christmas is an age-long tradition for many people. Many travel to their hometowns during the festive season to spend time with family and friends as well as catch up with family get-togethers, marriage ceremonies, and burial ceremonies.
Each Christmas, transportation costs go through the roof. But this year’s increase is particularly astounding.
When Saturday Sun visited some popular bus terminals in First Gate, Mazamaza and Mile 2 areas of Lagos on Thursday morning, the normal hustle and bustle of passengers getting ready to embark on their journeys to different destinations was lacking.
Some of the guys on the ground revealed that there was low patronage because of the soaring transportation fares to popular cities in Nigeria.
Travellers’ tales
At the popular First Gate bus terminal, a visibly angry young lady, who later identified herself as Gift Anayo, told Saturday Sun that she paid N22, 000 to ride in a seven-passenger space bus to Port Harcourt on December 22, but that at the last minute, she was told that the vehicle was full and that she should wait to board a 14-seater bus. The young lady, who said she was travelling to meet up with her friend’s traditional marriage, stated that the transport company should refund part of the payment she made since she wouldn’t be travelling in the space bus anymore.
A dispatch rider, Jairus Efe, said that he got to First Gate early in the morning on Thursday to buy tickets with his cousin but was discouraged by the amount he was told. He revealed that a popular transport company told them that the transport fare to Warri was N19, 500.
Efe said: “When I was told that the fare to Warri was N19, 500, I asked the man if he was sure about it or if I didn’t hear him properly. He looked at me angrily and told me to leave his face if I didn’t have money to pay my fare to my destination so that he could attend to other willing customers. I told him that he was rude and he told me to get out.”
Efe said he and his cousin decided to check out other transport companies around, noting that they eventually got a cheaper ticket.
“Finally, my cousin and I paid N12, 000 each to Warri at Aghofure Motors,” he said.
Edith Oseji said she was at Mazamaza bus stop on Monday December 19 to make inquiries about what it would cost her to travel to Onitsha with her three children and was told the fare was N16, 000. “You can then imagine my shock when I got here on Thursday morning only to be told that the price is now N20, 000. Where do these people expect us to get money? The way they hike the transportation fares is so unfair.”
A young man, Austin Clifford whose destination was Port Harcourt revealed that he paid N25, 000 to a transport company in Mazamaza. Clifford who looked stressed stated it was important for him to get to his destination today because he had three burial ceremonies to attend in Port Harcourt and two traditional marriages to attend in Owerri, Imo State.
He said: “It’s like these guys wait for this time of the year to make all the money they didn’t make throughout the year. I just didn’t want to argue with them this morning and that’s why I paid N25, 000 to get to Port Harcourt. They increase prices every day. I just wished I left Lagos on Monday or last week.”
Another passenger, Mike Uzoegbu said he just made up his mind to travel but he didn’t envisage he would be made to pay such an exorbitant amount just to get to his destination in Abakiliki, Ebonyi State. “I was told different prices here at Mazamaza but I decided to go with a well-known transport company to avoid unnecessary stories. I paid N22, 000 for my destination and it’s not funny. I don’t know how these transporters expect people to have money left to enjoy Christmas with their loved ones after charging so much for transportation”, he said.
Different companies, different prices
At the popular Mazamaza Bus Stop where some transport companies have their offices and car parks, the prices of fares to different destinations differ from company to company.
A worker at Amadel Transport Company who simply identified himself as Chimezie told Saturday Sun that anyone who wishes to board the popular luxurious bus to Awka, Onitsha and Owerri would have to pay N17, 500 while the price for a Sienna ride was N21, 000 for the same destinations.
The manager of Cross Country Transport at Mazamaza bus stop who refused to give her name simply stated that the fare to Awka was N22, 000, Onitsha N22, 000, and Benin N12, 000, while the prices for Port Harcourt and Owerri was N 25, 000 respectively.
For Peace Mass Transit at the same Mazamaza bus stop, the transport fare to Awka and Onitsha was N18, 000, while people heading to Owerri, Abakiliki, and Port Harcourt would have to pay N20, 000.
At Andyliz Transport Company park, the fare to Port Harcourt was N22, 000 for Sienna cars and N17, 000 for buses. Passengers heading to Awka, Onitsha and Enugu were charged N20, 000 while those heading to Calabar, Uyo and Yenagoa were charged N25, 000.
At the First Gate Bus Stop, Eddyson Transport pegged its fares to Onitsha and Awka at N15, 000 while Owerri, Port Harcourt, Calabar and Owerri cost N18, 000.
Ekeyson Motors charged N18, 000 to Awka, Onitsha and Aba while the price for Port Harcourt, Abakiliki and Owerri was N22,000.00.
At Mile Two bus stop, Libra Motors charged N7, 000 to Benin, Uromi and Auchi while Edobor motors charged N7, 500 to Benin, Auchi, and Uromi. Edobor Motors charged N10, 000 to Warri and Ozoro.