Commercial buses in Enugu metropolis have increased transport fare to N200 per bus- stop as against N100 due to increasing cost of fuel, vehicle spare parts and daily unified levy.
A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who monitored the development on Monday, observed that commercial bus drivers had resolved to collect N200 to move commuters from one bus stop to another.
NAN reports that the price of fuel per litre had risen from between N890 and N900 in October to between N940 and N950 per liter in most filling stations.
Speaking to NAN, Mr Chukwuma Chikere, a commercial bus driver, said that commercial bus operators had to stick on the increment as other factors for the business had continued to soar including fuel, spare parts, daily levies and extortions.
Chikere said that most commercial bus drivers found it hard to make daily earnings after settling the owner of the buses at the end of the day.
“The move to peg every movement at N200 is for our survival in the business,” he said.
Another commercial bus driver, Mr Ikechukwu Madu, said that the recent move was in line with “the socioeconomic realities of the day”.
“We are only going to remain in this business if the commuters will cooperate with us and consider the daily cost we incur as commercial bus drivers,” he said.
Reacting, a commuter and parent, Mrs Nonye Onyeoma, said that the resolve to charge N200 at short distances had made many commuters to resort to trekking.
“As you can see this morning; many commuters are trekking to their relative nearby destinations.
“I have warned my two children to ensure that they carry themselves in the bus while going and returning from school each day to cut cost,” he said.
A retired civil servant, Mrs Mary Nwali, said that people spent time at the bus stops waiting for buses that would convey them at a moderate price of N100 between the distance of one and two bus stops.
“This is why bus stops are crowded with people as most commercial bus drivers refuse to collect N100.
“Some people will wait until a God-sent commercial bus driver will have pity on them and oblige to collect N100 from them,” Nwali said.
