NURTW Defends Fare Increase

The leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Rivers State, has defended the high fare being charged by taxi cabs and bus drivers.

According to the zonal chairman, Eleme branch of the union, Comrade Kingsley Chukwu, the increase was in view of the increase in the price of petrol at the various filling stations.

He said, the fuel subsidy removal as announced by the Federal Government necessitated the increase in the pump price of petrol by marketers, stressing that transport fare definitely increased in view of that.

The union chairman added that various units of the union in the state were awaiting directive from the National Union of Road Transport Workers state Executive council on the appropriate charges on the various routes in the state.

He stated that bus drivers now spend more on fuel due to the sudden increase in the pump price of  petrol, noting that the union would not take undue advantage of any situation to unnecessarily increase transport fare in the state.

He appealed for the understanding and cooperation of  motorists in the present circumstances as the union leadership would always work for the interest of commuters.

Meanwhile, civil servants in the state have decried the hike in the price of petroleum product and transport fare on the various routes in the state.

Mr John Oluka, a civil servant at the state secretariat said the hike from N50 per drop to N100  was too high for commuters to pay.

He urged the federal government to put palliative measures in place to alleviate the hardship Nigerians are currently passing through with the subsidy removal.

Philip Okparaji