NURTW Warns Members Against Hike In Fares

As Nigerians groaned
under the continuous excruciating predicament and hardship of fuel scarcity for the past one week, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has warned its members against increase in transport fares across the state.
Speaking to The Tide at the union’s secretariat along old Aba Road by First Bank bus stop, a senior official of the union who pleaded anonymity said the union’s state executive had directed all the units of the union in the state to maintain the status quo in transport fares pending the state executive council meeting scheduled soon to review the situation surrounding the fuel scarcity.
He said the fuel scarcity had hit members of the union as a litre of petroleum now sell at N150 to N250 at any available filling station.
He said at the black market rate 10 litres of the petroleum product now sell at N3,000.
He said despite the hardship faced by the union members to secure the product, the union still ensure that normal fares are charged on the various routes.
The union accused the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers Union (NUPENG) of being responsible for the current fuel scarcity.
He said members of IPMAN with filling stations are hoarding the petroleum products only to sell at night to avoid the Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and Rivers State Ministry of Energy officials sealing up their filling stations.
However, when The Tide visited Refinery depot, Alesa Eleme, officials of IPMAN said normal loading of products will commence by next week from March 10.
Investigation by The Tide has also confirmed that most filling stations along the Eleme express road and Oyigbo expressway opened to sell petroleum product from 8pm in the night at per litre price of N150.
Also transport fare has increased from the normal N100 Aba Road route to N150 per drop, Bayelsa now N1,500 as against the normal price of N1,300, Asarama now N1,500, Bori N600 as against N300, Oyigbo N300.
Speaking to The Tide a motorist Mr Andrew Iwu said the pains and suffering being experienced by motorists are unbearable.
He called for the quick intervention of relevant agencies to normalise the situation in the overall interest of Nigerians.

Philip Okparaji