Transporters in Gusau, Zamfara, have increased the price of transport fare ahead of the Christmas and New Year celebrations, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
A cross section of respondents told NAN in Gusau on Saturday that the hike was occasioned by the high number of commuters traveling to various destinations to mark yuletide season.
Malam Isiaka Isah, a driver at the Gusau Central Motor Park, said that the increase in the price of transportation was due to the large number of people traveling during the period.
He said that the drivers had experienced low patronage before now, so they are making use of the period to make up for lost ground.
“We now carry passengers to Abuja at the rate of N2,500, instead of the former N2,000, while Kaduna and Kano cost N1,300 as against N1,000,” he said.
Another transporter, Malam Usman Bilyaminu, said that the transport fare to the Eastern part of the country had also increased, but noted that many passengers were complaining.
He said that the increase was actually high, but attributed it to the festive period as many people were traveling.
“Gusau to Lagos that was N7,100, has now increased to N10,100. Likewise Onitsha that was N6,500 is now N10,100, while Owerri, Aba, Port Harcourt is now N11,100 from N6,500,” he said.
Bilyaminu also said that the exorbitant transport fare would last till the first week of January 2017, when people would have returned to their respective bases.
However, he said that fare would fall gradually till by second week of January when it would drop to normal charges.
NAN observed that most of commuters were those travelling to to other states to celebrate the Christmas and New Year with their families and friends. (NAN)