Ebonyi Commuters Groan Over Fare Hike

Commuters in Abakaliki Ebonyi, State capital, have called on the state government and other relevant agencies to prevail on transportation firms operating in the area to reduce their fares.
They made the call in separate interviews with newsmen in Abakaliki.
The call came against the background of hike in transportation fares from the state capital to other towns and states in the country as witnessed in the last Yuletide.
Investigation showed that fare from Abakaliki to Benin had risen to N3,500, as against N 2,500; to Port Harcourt, N3,500 instead of N2,200 and Onitsha N1,900 rather than N1,200.
A student, Mr Augustus Nnachi, said he had to pay double to be able to get back to school, saying that the development did not augur well for his financial condition.
“Government and other relevant agencies should help to subsidise the cost of transportation, especially now that the festival period is over, so we can get to our destinations, “he said.
Another commuter, Mr Daniel Eke, said the hike in fares had disorganised his projection, and pleaded with the state government to address the situation.
“Things are difficult now in terms of the prices of both goods and services, so government should address this situation as a way of helping the people”,he urged.
Also a house wife, Mrs Osiati Jude, while acknowledging the government for the free transport initiative, appealed that destinations covered by the initiative be extended to cover other parts of the country.
She said that the gesture would enable those who had not benefited from the programme do so.
“I appreciate Governor David Umahi on this kind gesture and plead for extension to other states and also in conveying passengers back to their destinations, ” she said.
A manager in one of the transport companies at the park, who gave his name simply as Mr Faith, claimed that the increase in transport fares was due to general increase in the prices of goods and services in the country,