The fuel scarcity being witnessed in major parts of Nigeria has continued to bite, resulting in a spiral effect as commuters lament the hike in transportation costs.
This is following reports of fuel scarcity in Lagos, Kaduna, and other cities around the country.
According to commuters who spoke to Nairametrics, transportation fares to places of destination have skyrocketed by over 150% on various routes.
The struggle: In conversations with commuters across various locations, commuters lament the scarcity of commercial vehicles and how the few available drivers take advantage of the situation, hiking prices exorbitantly.
Adeoye Bala is a trader on Lagos Island and makes sales from selling shoes. She told Nairametrics how she has to struggle to get to her workplace every day since the recent fuel scarcity resurfaced.
- “We are going through a lot due to the fuel scarcity issue. For example, yesterday (Thursday) I left for the shop as early as 7:00 am only to get to the bus stop and waited for hours because vehicles were not available. The few available vehicles were rushed by many and we had to pay more than times two of the money we are supposed to pay,” she said.
- Expressing frustration, she said, “even after paying N500 instead of N200 eventually, the bus didn’t get to our destination, we still had to trek down after he dropped in the middle of the road.”
Ngozi John stays on the mainland but works in a hotel on the Island. In the past few days she had been through the frustration of transiting to and fro, which has almost cost her job.
- “I am supposed to resume work by 8:00 pm but in the past few days, I have not been able to meet up with that because of vehicle scarcity. All of the vehicles are unavailable at the bus stop. We usually fight tooth and nail to secure vehicles these days. Luckily, it is a general thing and that’s why I am still on the job.”
Drivers’ perspective: while it appears to many that drivers are opportunists that take advantage of the situation to hike the prices, they also have their stories to tell.
A commercial driver popularly called S.J., who plies through Lekki – Epe route told Nairametrics how getting fuel has become tough in the past few days.
- “It’s not our fault. We are increasing prices, but you cannot expect us to buy fuel at a costly price and still maintain the same transportation fare. Filling stations are not selling and the available fuel we get is very expensive.”
Bayo Adeola also shared his sentiment. He noted that drivers are simply passing on the high cost of fuel.
- “Look at the queue lined up at various filling stations. I had to pay N4,000 to get ten litres this morning, which is more than two times the regular price, and yet you expect that the cost of transportation would not go up.
- “I know everyone is frustrated but let us all channel the frustration to people up there and not to ourselves because everyone is affected by the situation of the economy.”
In case you missed it: In a recent interview on Channels Television, the deputy national president of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Zarama Mustapha, outlined a few reasons why some cities are experiencing fuel scarcity.
He outlined the delay in the discharge of petrol from the mother vessel to depots because of some challenges between private depot owners and the NNPC, which is the main supplier of petrol. He also pointed to pricing issues, shortage of NNPC storage, policies, and the yuletide period amongst others.