By Bose Adelaja & Adetomiwa Adewoyin
CITIZENS COMPASS—Many travellers from Lagos State to Port Harcourt on Wednesday, lamented the high cost of transportation as they looked forward to the new year.
In what could be described as a late-night rush, some of the travellers were captured at some designated parks in Lagos, hoping to celebrate the new year with their loved ones.
Some of the parks visited by Citizens Compass were greeted with lamentation as the would-be passengers lamented the high costs of transportation.
In the course of this report, Citizens Compass ran into a parent who was waiting to pick up his son in Ojota where he lame red that the journey from Enugu State to Lagos cost him the sum of N95,000 due to some circumstances beyond his control.
According to him, his son, David Alamutu, ran out of cash during the journey, and he had to appeal to the driver to exercise patience and that the father would bring money to the Lagos park.
“The initial vehicle he boarded from Enugu broke down on the road and the driver refused to refund their money. Due to security challenges in the country, I advised him to board another vehicle to Lagos.”
At Jibowu Park along Ikorodu Road, Iyana-Ipaja, and Agboju along Lagos/Badagry Expressway, Citizens Compass interviewed some passengers who were captured with various invoices.
One of them, Mr Andrew Okasi, who was to travel to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with his wife, said they paid the sum of N180,000, while Messrs Johnson Okafor and Eze Pius said they paid N75,000 each for a journey from Lagos to Aba and Owerri, respectively.
Other passengers who spoke with Citizens Compass said Lagos to Owerri to Aba, Umuahia in Abia State was put at N75, 000, Lagos to Port Harcourt at N90,000(Sienna bus), Jibowu to Onitsha, Anambra State between N55,000 and N70,000 depending on the size of the vehicles.
Other Respondents Luxury buses from Jibowu to Asaba in Delta State, cost N60,000.
At Ikorodu Garage, some Respondents put fares to Ibadan at N7,000, Ogbomosho, Oyo State at N10,000, while Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State was N4,000, and Epe at N3,500.
Meanwhile, some train services appeared to be affordable as fares from Lagos to Ibadan, Oyo State,costs N3,800.
Many travellers at the Fashola Train Station I Agege said this was comfortable and affordable.
