As the festive season approaches, Imo State residents based in Lagos or Abuja are grappling with exorbitant transportation costs, with bus tickets soaring to a staggering N50,000 for the journey to Owerri.
The recent removal of petrol subsidies by President Bola Tinubu has triggered a sharp increase in fuel prices, catapulting pump rates from N195 per litre to N600, and in some states , reaching as high as N700.
The surge in fuel costs has cast a heavy shadow on transportation fares, leaving travelers to contend with inflated prices for inter-state bus trips.
Our investigations in Lagos have uncovered that several transport companies, have hiked their fares for the yuletide season.
Specifically, a sienna bus seat from Lagos to Owerri now costs a hefty N50,000, while a 14-seater Hiace bus seat for the same route costs N42,000.
Further investigations reveal similarly exorbitant rates for other routes, with journeys such as Lagos to Abuja priced at N49,000 and Abuja to Lagos at N50,000.
The Transport Fare Watch report from the National Bureau of Statistics for October 2023 paints a grim picture, indicating a significant 53.04% surge in average fares for intercity bus travel compared to the same period in 2022.
As the holiday season unfolds, Imo residents face the harsh reality of bearing substantial financial burdens for their journeys back home.