Christmas: Enugu commuters fault sudden transport fare hikes

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Commuters in parts of Enugu State have condemned the sudden transport fare hikes ahead of Christmas, with prices on major routes rising by 45 to 50 per cent amid the festive rush.

Speaking in separate interviews with our correspondent, the passengers—mostly users of public transport—described the increases as exploitative.

Findings by PUNCH Metro on Wednesday show that commercial transport operators abruptly increased fares, blaming the seasonal one-way traffic flow and the high cost of returning without passengers.

On the busy Old Park–Eke Obinagu route, fares that previously ranged between N400 and N500 have jumped to between N700 and N800.

Similarly, commuters travelling from Old Park to Abakpa now pay as much as N800, up from the usual N400–N500.

The situation is the same on the Holy Ghost–Agbani Road corridor, where fares rose from N500 to N900.

Intra-city bus fares have also doubled in many cases, with short trips increasing from N150 to N300, and others from N200 to N400.

Commercial drivers, who spoke to PUNCH Metro on Wednesday, defended the increases, arguing that the festive season has disrupted normal passenger flow.

“One major issue is that passengers are moving mostly in one direction because of the festive period. If I charge N500 for passengers from Old Park to Emene, there are no passengers to bring me back.

“So I have to add almost the full return cost. That’s why the fare looks high,” a bus driver at Old Park, Okechukwu Eze, told PUNCH Metro.

Another driver, who chose not to be named, said failure to adjust fares would result in losses.

“Everybody is travelling to their villages. If we don’t increase fares, we won’t survive this period,” he said.

Commuters, however, condemned the hike as sudden and exploitative.

A female commuter, Chinenye Okafor, said, “I was shocked this morning when they asked me to pay N800 for a route I usually pay N500 for. Fuel prices have dropped compared to some months ago, so fares should reduce, not increase.”

Another commuter, Ifeanyi Nwankwo, accused transport operators of cashing in on the festive season.

“Every Christmas it’s the same story. They raise fares without notice, and ordinary people suffer,” he said.

Some passengers called on transport unions and government authorities to step in and regulate fares during the holiday period to curb what they described as arbitrary pricing.

Attempts to obtain comments from the state chapters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria were unsuccessful, as neither organization responded to inquiries.

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