Transport unions in Rivers State have said that the increase in transport fare since Christmas period was maintained due to the continued hike of fuel price at various filling stations in the state.
The transport unions also attributed the increase in fare to bad roads, especially the federal roads across the country.
Speaking with The Tide, the chairman of Abali Motor Park in Port Harcourt, Elder Stephen Orlu said transport fare to some destinations are yet to reverse back to normal, as the continued fuel crisis has not helped the matter.
He said almost all the filling stations except NNPC filling stations are still selling petrol for N220.00 and N250.00 per litre.
According to him, commercial motorists would be at loss if the price of transport fair is reversed.
He said though not all the routes increased their fare in the state but commuters plying inter-states roads are mostly affected by the fuel price.
He said that transport fare to Bori, Ahoada among others within the state were placed at N300.00 and N500.00, respectively but as at Christmas period when the price of petrol shut-up, the prices of the fare were fixed at N500.00 and N700.00, respectively.
He also explained that, commuters plying Uyo, Owerri, Warri, among others, paid N700.00, N800.00 and N1,000.00 before the Christmas period, but the fares at the Yuletide period were fixed on N900.00, N1,000.00, N1,500.00 due to the hike in petrol price.
However, the chairman said that commuters in some routes have reversed the fare back to the normal price, despite the continue selling of petrol at N220.00 and N250.00 per litre in filling stations. Orlu also blamed poor Federal Government’s roads on the increase of transport fare in some routes.
He listed Akpajo-Onne federal roads, Oyigbo-Aba Federal roads in South-South zone as example of roads that needed to be rehabilitated to ease transport system in the zone.
On accidents, the park chairman said that the union has not recorded any accidents during the yuletide period, saying that the reason was as a result of early awareness campaign by FRSC to members of the union.
Another union leader and the coordinator of Rivers Indigenous Transport Association, Abali Park in Port Harcourt, Mr Mike, Ezike said though the price of fuel is still high, the price fare from the park to Bori, and Ahoada have be reversed back to the normal fare of N500.00 and N400.00 respectively.
He called on the Federal Government, Petroleum Agencies to intervene to reduce the fair in the country.

Enoch Epelle