Transportation fares in Anambra state have continued to increase slightly as many citizens journey home for the yuletide celebration.
Correspondent Uche Ndeke, who went round some of the motor parks in Awka, reports that the number of travelers was fewer than it was in previous years , a situation which some of those interviewed attributed to Covid 19 pandemic which is presently ravaging the globe.
Yuletide is usually a period when transporters make brisk business as people move from one part of the country to the other.
However, this year seems to be different unarguably due to events which preceded the season such as outbreak of Corona virus disease, end SARS protest as well as economic recession.
Consequently, the zeal for massive home-coming has been obviously affected as revealed at different motor parks visited.
Despite the situation, some commercial mass transits within Awka reviewed their fares upward.
For instance, traveling from Awka to Onitsha which was three hundred naira before is now four hundred while Awka to Enugu increased from one thousand naira to two thousand by Sienna.
Awka to Ebonyi state that was formerly two thousand is now between three and four thousand naira, while Awka to Abuja is nine thousand five hundred naira.
Awka to Ekwulobia, Oko and Umunze all added between one hundred and two hundred naira to the previous fares.
One of the transport operators. Mr Ikechukwu Oke, said the slight increase was due to the recent increase in pump price of petrol from one hundred forty five to one hundred and seventy naira, per litre.
“Before we use to buy fuel at one hundred and forty five naira but now is one hundred and seventy naira , we use to spend about two thousand naira fuel to go to Onitsha. It its now three thousand five hundred so we have to increase our fares to meet up”
Two commuters , Mr Uche Okolo and Kingsley Okoli regretted the manner people take advantage of festive periods to reap off their fellow citizens and called on government to look into the trend.
” this is really a sad situation, why must they increase the fares at this time, its always worst in the South East zone, the Federal Government must do something about it, let their be regulation on transport fares especially during this festive period. ” Mr Kingsley Okoli added.
A resident of Awka, Comrade Obi Ochije, while reacting to the sudden increase in fares, wondered why prices of goods and services will always go up whenever the Christian faithful celebrate and called on government to intervene in the interest of the ordinary citizens.
“How can Christians every year be increasing cost of everything including fares to take their fellow members home for celebration. Tell me, a family of six that leaves Lagos with transportation fare of over one hundred thousand naira, how much will they use for feeding and other things”
Meanwhile, some mass transit operators told Radio Nigeria that they were still monitoring the situation and would only increase their fares if more passengers troupe out later in the week.
