Fuel scarcity is killing businesses – Transporters

Transport operators in Lagos on Tuesday lamented the lingering fuel scarcity in the country and urged the Federal Government to take urgent measures to resolve the crisis, to forestall a complete breakdown of their business activities.

The operators, who spoke with NAN in Lagos, said that the ongoing fuel crisis had become a clog in their regular business operations.

NAN reports that the ongoing fuel crisis had adversely affected transport fares for destinations both within and outside the Lagos metropolis.

NAN checks revealed that Agege to Yaba or Alausa now goes for N400 and N150, instead of N150 and N70 respectively, while Iyana-Ipaja to Oshodi is pegged at N300, instead of N100.

From Ikorodu Garage in Lagos to Ogijo in Ogun State, along the Ikorodu-Sagamu Road, is now N200, instead of N100, while the fare from Ikorodu to Mile 12 is now N250, instead of N150.

Also, a trip from Lagos to Abakaliki which was between N3, 000 and N3, 200 now goes for between N4, 000 and N4, 500.

A one-way trip from Lagos to Enugu, Onitsha and Owerri which were formerly N3, 100, N2, 100 and N3, 100, respectively, is now pegged at N3,800, N2,500, and N3,800, respectively.

A driver, Mr Tunde Ajani, who operates the Oshodi to Orile Iganmu route told NAN that the transport business had not only become stressful but was no longer lucrative because of the hardships encountered in the pursuit of fuel.

“On the days I want to buy fuel without patronising the black market, l spend more than two hours at the filling station and you know what that means to the business.

“I will at the end of the day make my delivery to the owner of the bus, who does not care about how and where I get my petrol.

“It has become a ritual of headaches and worries each I think of where the 5-litre petrol might come from,” he said.

Another driver, Mr Francis Osoko, who plies the Ikorodu to Yaba route, said he spends more of his daily income on petrol from alternative sellers, otherwise known as the ‘black market’.

“Some filling stations in Ikorodu sell one litre for between N180 and N190, depending on where you go, while the black market now sells 10 litres of petrol for as much as N4,000.

“So, government should find a solution to this suffering, because it is we the poor people that are bearing the brunt,” he said.

Mr Chika Obinna, who plies the Oworonsoki-Lagos Island route, said that the situation had prevented him from venturing out either in search of petrol or getting behind the wheels.

Mr John Ezaka, the General Manager of Christ Light Transport Company, whose vehicles ply the Lagos-Abakaliki route, told NAN that sales have reached an all-time low.

“We have 50 buses on our fleet located in our three parks in Lagos, Ijebu-Ode and Abakaliki.

“But since the beginning of the year, our business has been experiencing a lot of challenges, particularly the scarcity of fuel.