NURTW Set To Regulate Fares

The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) said it would regulate
activities of its members to guard against unjustifiable hike in cost of
transportation throughout the country during this year’s Christmas celebration.

In a statement made available to The Tide and
signed by the Union’s National Officer, Comrade Ibrahim Iro said the Union
would ensure that transportation fares remained affordable despite the
Christmas festive period.

Comrade Iro said although increment in the cost of
petrol had affected cost of transportation throughout the country, but the
union members still charge the same fares considering the economic  reality in the country.

He said the union was also, aware of some commercial
drivers who may take advantage of the Christmas rush stressing that the union
is a strong regulatory body and as such members cannot act otherwise outside
the union national Secretariat directives.

The Labour Leader urged governments to regulate the
activities of Independent Marketers of Petroleum Products to ensure sanity in
the distribution of the Petroleum product system during this period.

He said “most service stations throughout the country
sell a litre of petrol between N135 and N150 against government’s approved pump
price of N97.00 per litre, stressing that government needs to implement the
approved price of the petroleum product through monitoring for compliance by
the Independent Petroleum Marketers.

Meanwhile, commercial drivers within Port Harcourt
metropolis said cost of transport would likely increase if the pump price of
petrol continue to rise during the Christmas period.

Some of the drivers who spoke to The Tide at the
Abali motor park, Bayelsa Motor park and Sam Jaja bus terminal lamented the
cost of petrol and long queuing at the filling stations, stressing that the
situation was getting worse without intervention.

Mr. Priye Otiotio a commercial driver at the Bayelsa
loading park said the situation might change stressing that it cost some
drivers over N6000 to fill their vehicles tanks as against N4000 before now.

He urged the leadership
of the NURTW to collaborate with the state government and the organised Labour
to address the situation before it elates against the interest of commuters.