Commuters in some parts of Lagos had to pay more to get to
their destinations on Tuesday, following President Bola Tinubu’s pronouncement
that “petrol subsidy is gone”.
Soon after the unexpected remark on Monday, queues for
petrol reappeared across filling stations in the country.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria
(IPMAN) blamed the situation on panic buying.
On the other hand, consumers complained that some filling
stations, which were operating before Tinubu’s declaration, shutdown their
outlets.
Due to the development, transit fares in Lagos grew
exponentially on Tuesday morning, with petrol selling for as high as N500 per
litre in some areas.
Chukwudi, a phone accessories salesperson, said journeying
to his kiosk in Alakija was a daunting task, as he had to pay more than he had
budgeted for the day.
“Boarding a tricycle from Alaba International in Ojo LGA to
Volks Bus Stop used to be N100. Now, it is N200. And from Volkswagen to
Alakija, we used to board motorcycles for N250, now it is N400 (for two
passengers),” he said.
“If I was the only
one boarding the motorcycle, I would pay N800. Some bike men even said their
fee is N500 per passenger. The situation is really serious.”
A commuter, who identified as Tolu Aniyikaye, said the
transportation cost on her route (Maya to Ikorodu Garage) rose from N300 to
N500.
She said there was heavy gridlock at some points during the
journey due to queues at petrol stations.
“There were also fewer available buses,” Aniyikaye added.
The cost of commuting from Berger to Ojota rose from N300 to
N400, another resident said.
Speaking on the hike in transport fare, a motorist who plies
the Satellite Town axis, said the situation compelled drivers to raise prices.
“For instance, I bought petrol for N500 per litre today. How
much will I now carry my passengers? The price has to increase,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum
Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) had urged oil marketers to keep their retail
outlets open to customers.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Media
Centre said the president’s statement that petrol subsidy had stopped was not a
new development, noting that the rush to buy the commodity “is needless”.
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