Motorists and commuters in Lagos and Ogun states on Tuesday once more, lamented the biting results of the lingering fuel shortage as the scenario remained unchanged from the trends experienced over the past two weeks.
Tests by way of our correspondents confirmed that the fee of top rate Motor Spirit, commonly called petrol, regarded to have stalled at N200/litre, about the same rate the product has been promoting in Lagos, Abuja and a few states during the last week.
It changed into also discovered that a number of filling stations in Lagos remained closed for business, ostensibly because of the unavailability of the product.
Also, the few outlets dispensing the product within the towns had long queues as motorists jostled to shop for the product.
Similarly checks by using The PUNCH additionally showed that transport fares across numerous components of Lagos maintained a 50 in keeping with cent hike because of the continuing shortage of PMS. A few routes witnessed hikes as high as 100 according to cent.
A commercial delivery operator who plies the Berger/Mowe path between Lagos and Ogun states said motorists had been grappling with no longer simplest a giant boom in gas rate, however additionally outstanding problem in having access to the product.
He said, “It’s because of the fee which we’re shopping for. For extra than per week, we’ve been shopping for gasoline for N200/litre or almost N200/litre. Aside from the growth in charge, we frequently suffer before we can purchase. Many filling stations have closed for commercial enterprise. They do not want to sell even though we recognize some of them to have gas. Each day, I spend hours before shopping for gas.“
Passengers think we experience increasing our fares, but if we don’t increase, we received’t make any profit. In spite of the growth, we are nonetheless no longer making what we make on a everyday day, mainly due to the time it takes to shop for gasoline.”
A passenger who identified herself as Ganiyat stated the growth within the fares alongside the Berger/Ibafo axis was starting to take a toll at the commuters.
According to her, the gas scarcity had caused a scarcity of business buses, a situation which conventionally forces delivery fares to go up.
She stated, “it’s miles getting out of hand. I am going from Ibafo to Lagos and back each day. Commonly, I pay N200 from Berger to Ibafo, but ever on the grounds that this fuel scarcity began, you need to make certain you come out with sufficient cash because you don’t even recognise how a great deal they’re going to charge. Nowadays, they are charging N500. On Saturday I paid N800 for a experience I typically pay N200.”
Mr Cyril Ukpor, who is living at Iyana Ejigbo region of Lagos state, however said he offered gas at N165/litre at one of the retailers of the Nigerian countrywide Petroleum organization within the area.
Additionally, a resident who gave her call as Blessing said she sold the product at N200/litre.
“i have been shopping for gas for N200/litre. To me it isn’t honestly about the price, it’s far approximately the availability of the product. Allow the product be simply available for us to buy. We realize that each time we start seeing lengthy queues like this, it is a demonstration that they want to boom the pump rate”
CHUKA KEN MINISTRY 