Some residents in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, have expressed their disappointment in the increase in fares in the city, brought about by the current fuel scarcity.
Some told newsmen on Sunday, April 28, that they now pay double the fare that had previously been increased since the removal of the fuel subsidy.
Transporters have now increased fares again in the city since Saturday, April 27, due to fuel scarcity.
Olunlade to Offa Garage, has now gone up to N200, from N100. Offa Garage to Mandate Market, which was N200, is now between N350 and N400.
Also, Olunlade to Post Office now costs N400, and commercial motorcyclists operating within areas to junctions now charge between N250 and N300 from N150 and N200 it was before.
Grace Philip, who went to shop at Mandate Market, said the cost of transportation reduced what she was able to buy in the market.
”Already, the money I had with me could not buy all we needed in the house. But I just had to come and manage. On getting to the road, the transportation fare doubled.
”This means the limited money I have will be affected again, which boils down to the fact that what we are going through is unbearable.
”There were rumors that the price of fuel would reduce for some weeks now. But instead, it has become more expensive and even unavailable because people are struggling to buy it,” she said.
On her part, Aisha Mohammed said she will have to trek from the junction where she will be dropped off to her house because the money meant for the motorbike has been spent on plying the main road.
She begged that the situation be put under control soon because it won’t be easy for people to get to where they earn their living.
Umar Haroon expressed sympathy with the students, saying they would spend most of their time scrambling for transportation due to the limited number of vehicles on the road.
He said they would be tired by the time they get to school, and so may not be useful to themselves for the rest of the day.
Meanwhile, only a few filling stations were selling fuel, with attendant long queues of vehicles.
Some sellers dispensed a liter of fuel for N750. Others sold it for between N850 and N900. Black marketers sold for as high as N1,000 or N1,500 per liter.
