…Commuters travelling from Awka to Enugu paid over N6,500 instead of N3,000,
ANAMBRA, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | Commuters returning to Anambra State from other parts of the South-East after the Yuletide found themselves stranded at several motor parks on Sunday as transport fares soared by more than 200 per cent.
Checks by our correspondent across major motor parks in the state revealed sharp increases in both interstate and intra-state fares, a trend that began on Tuesday. The surge was attributed to the expected high volume of passengers and the limited availability of commercial vehicles, particularly as students returned to schools.
At Ezeiweka and Star Sunny Motor Parks in Onitsha, travelers heading to Owerri were charged as much as N8,000, up from the usual N3,500, while fares to Aba jumped to N10,000 from N4,000. Commuters travelling from Awka to Enugu paid over N6,500 instead of N3,000, and fares from Onitsha to Awka rose to N4,000 from N1,500.
Intra-state passengers were similarly affected. Those travelling from Upper Iweka to Ihiala paid N3,500 instead of N700, while short routes that previously cost between N200 and N500 now went for as high as N1,000, sparking quarrels between commuters and drivers.
Similar scenes were reported in Nnewi and Ekwulobia, where many passengers were left stranded, while only a few managed to board the scarce buses. At Ekwulobia Motor Park, fares from Igboukwu to Nkpor and Onitsha rose to N4,000 from N800, even though the price of Premium Motor Spirit remained around N850 per litre.
Transport operators explained that the hike was due to high passenger demand and a shortage of vehicles. Chukwudi Iwundu, a commercial driver at Goodness and Mercy Motor Park in Upper Iweka, Onitsha, said, “The fare increase is expected because passenger volume is high while buses are few. It’s a case of ‘high demand, low supply.’ With people returning home after the Yuletide, we have no choice but to raise fares.”
Ebere Kachi, a transporter at Star Sunny Motor Park in Awka, added, “Passenger numbers are high, but the main issue is the poor road conditions across the South-East. The roads damage our vehicles, requiring frequent repairs, and motor parts are expensive. To cover these costs, we must increase fares. The government should consider a mass transit system and provide support for commercial transporters to reduce the burden on commuters.”
Some members of the Anambra Drivers Union said they were unaware of the fare hikes and promised to investigate the situation.
Commuters, however, voiced frustration. Grace Acho, at Triangle Motor Park in Nnewi, said, “This suffering is unbearable. I was travelling to Enugu and the fare rose to almost N12,000 from N6,000. Even though buses are few, this is unjustified, especially since fuel prices have dropped. Transport operators in the South-East should follow the example of the North, where fares are not increased during festive periods.”
Michael Uche, a student at Upper Iweka, described the situation as “the height of wickedness. Coming from Enugu, the driver initially asked N1,500 to Ihiala. Seeing the crowds, he stopped the bus and demanded N3,000, or he wouldn’t continue. We were stranded for several minutes before paying. This is outrageous and exploitative.”
