Residents of Awka and environs have called for urgent intervention of relevant authorities on the continuous hike in transportation fare in the area, even after the price of petrol dropped back to normal in the state.
Since the recent abrupt increase in the price of premium motor spirit also known as petrol or fuel, Anambra state commercial transporters have maintained the prices charged for drops across the state even when petrol stations have already complied with the state government’s approved pump price of one hundred and sixty-five naira per litre.
Till now, commercial transporters within Awka metropolis have been charging shortest drops for one hundred naira, while other distances range from one hundred and fifty naira, two hundred naira, and so on, against the former charges which were double less than the present cost, thereby causing untold hardship on residents especially salary earners whose monthly incomes are fixed.
During the monitoring exercise, the ABS observed that the incident now makes a lot of people to trek more than they used to, in order to cut expenses on their transport fare.
Speaking to the ABS on the issue, a teacher, Mr. Ekene Ogugua who described the action by the transporters as wicked and greedy, commended Anambra State government for addressing the petrol price hike issue by instituting a taskforce to monitor the activities of fuel stations in the state, and asked it to do same to the transportation fare charges in order to save poor masses from unnecessary expenses.
For other monthly earners, Mr. Anthony Nwobu, and Mr. Daniel Omaliko, who go to work from Nibo and Abatete to Awka respectively on daily bases, lamented that they now pay double of transportation fare than they used to pay before the recent fuel pump price hike, and called for urgent intervention of relevant authorities, as the situation is badly affecting them.
On their parts, a tricyclist, Mr. Charles Chukwuma, and another respondent, Mrs. Njideka Oliva blamed the transporters’ decision to maintain the recent transportation fare charges to incessant increase in market price of commodities, especially food stuff, and called on government to device means of ensuring food sufficiency in the state, as according to them, the fall in the price of food stuff would go a long way in reducing prices of other commodities.
Similarly, in Onitsha, the commercial hub of Anambra state, commuters are also having difficult time as transport fare to various routes increased tremendously with over hundred percentage.
In the early hours of the yesterday, people were seen standing at various bus stands bargaining with drivers and conductors for a reduction in the fares.
Reporter, Blessing Ijedibia our roving crew observed that a shuttle bus from Nkpor park to Onitsha main market that cost one-hundred-and-fifty-naira last week now cost three hundred naira while that of Nkpor to upper Iweka and Bridge head axis that goes for hundred naira is now two hundred naira.
It was also discovered that a drop in Keke now cost one hundred naira mindless of the distance.
The story of hike in transport fare is the same at virtually all routes in the metropolis as a ride in Keke from MCC to Awada which previously cost fifty naira now goes for one hundred naira
Commenting on the development a petty trader at Army Gate market popularly known as Ogbo tomatoes, Mrs. Ngozi Okobi regretted the hike in transport fare mentioning trekking as the only option.
On his part, a bus Driver that plys Nkpor to Upper Iweka, Mr. John Nwoko attributed the hike in transport fare to increase in the price of motor spare parts.
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