Transport Fares On The High Despite Availability Of Fuel, Reduction In Queues
Despite the availability of fuel and reduction in queues at filling stations in the Osogbo metropolis, commuters have refused to bring down transport fares, OSUN DEFENDER noted.
The medium had in its May 03, 2024 edition reported that the majority of the filling stations in Osogbo were not selling fuel, forcing residents of the state capital to search for the Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) over far distances and at high cost.
Aside from the NNPC which was selling at N580 per litre, every other petrol station in Osogbo was selling between N680 and N1,050 per litre.
However, a visit to some of the mega filling stations showed a sharp reduction in those queuing to get the commodity compared to last week.
Apart from NNPC, BOVAS and NIPCO which are selling fuel at lower prices, other filling stations in the state capital are selling comfortably to consumers without stress.
OSUN DEFENDER noted that most of the filling stations in Osogbo that did not sell petrol last week, were as of the time of filing this report yesterday, operating with some selling as high as N1,000 per litre.
However, despite the availability of fuel and the absence of queues in most of the stations, commercial transporters have refused to reduce the transport fares.
OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the commuters who increased transport by 75-100 per cent during the crisis are still maintaining the same price, blaming the hike in petrol price for their actions.
Speaking with the medium, a minibus (Korope) driver who gave his name as Oladimeji, said he still bought a litre of petrol at N950, saying that the transport fare cannot reduce until things are back to normal.
He said: “People keep blaming us (drivers) but we are not the problem. We only charge based on what we buy. I bought a litre of fuel at N950 today and what do you expect?”
“Not everyone can stay on the queue to buy fuel at NNPC, NIPCO, Bovas and Matrix. Some of us are still buying from those selling it at higher prices.
When told that some commercial drivers are getting fuel at the mega stations and still charging high transport fares, Oladimeji said it is their time to also make a profit.
Meanwhile, the state government and relevant stakeholders have been urged to monitor the situation and prevent the drivers from extorting the residents.
Some residents who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER said it has become a norm for the drivers not to reduce transport fares whenever they jack it up.
They noted that if the government failed to do something about the situation, the drivers would maintain the current transport fares, causing more hardship for Osun people.
One of the residents of the state capital, Mrs Damiloa Oladosu, said: “This is what normally happens in the country. Whenever these drivers jack up the transport fares, they will not bring it down again.
“They are now buying fuel easily but they have failed to reduce the transport fare. Is this not extortion and we keep blaming the government for everything?
“I want to urge the state government and relevant agencies to monitor the situation and call these drivers to order. They can’t continue to milk us dry even when the fuel is now available.”
Kazeem Badmus is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience. A professional in journalism and media writing, Kazeem prioritses accuracy and factual reportage of issues. He is also a dexterous finder of the truth with conscious delivery of unbiased and development oriented stories.
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