Some passengers who are travelling from Jigawa state to other parts of the country, have lamented the hike in transport fare, occasioned by increase in fuel price and the yuletide.
Our Correspondent who visited some major motor parks within Dutse metropolis showed that transport fares from the state capital to other states had increased.
The motor parks visited included New motor park, Investment and General hospital mini parks all within Dutse metropolis.
A passenger at New Garage motor park, Aminu Mu’azu, said that he paid N1,200 as transport fare from Dutse to Kano as against the N900 he used to pay before the fuel price hike and the yuletide.
Another passenger travelling to Kaduna state, Maryam Mohammed also said that she paid N4,000 for the journey instead of the N3,000 she used to pay as transport fare.
Also speaking, a passenger travelling to Bauchi State from Dutse, Bayo Alabira said he paid the sum of 2,300 instead of 1,200 as transport fare.
Also, Zainab Kabiru, a passenger at Dutse General hospital park said the sum of N6,000 was collected from her for a journey from Dutse to Abuja.
Zainab said that she used to pay N5,000 for the same journey before the fuel price hike and new year festivities.
A commercial driver Mallam Kamilu Dutse said that the increase in fuel price, coupled with the yuletide period, had contributed to the hike in cost of transportation at various motor parks.
He however, attributed the transport fare hike to the challenges being faced by drivers in getting fuel at government price.
Also speaking, some passengers at Ringim motor park, said that they paid N1,000 transportation fare from Ringim to Hadejia instead of the normal 600 fare.
They said they paid 500 transport fare from Dutse to Ringim instead of N350 before the fuel increase.
Some of the drivers who spoke to Radio Nigeria said that they bought fuel for between N295 or N310 per litre.
They said that there were usually long queues at the few petrol stations selling at government approved price of N185 per litre.
The drivers however added that, one could spend up to 5 to 6 hours before getting fuel.
END/USMAN MZ
