Okrika Speed Boat Owners Plan Fare Reduction

Effective from July, and barring any change in decision, travellers from Port Harcourt to Okrika through the Marine Base will pay N800 instead of N1000 currently being paid.
Vice Chairman, Okrika Speed Boat Owners Association, Comrade Samuel Epeya, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with The Tide at Okrika.
Epeya said the decision to reduce the fare from N1,000 to N800 was occasioned by current hardship in the country.
According to him, people travelling from Port Harcourt to Okrika will pay N800 effective from July, while those travelling from Abuloma to Okrika will pay N500 .
He said the reduction has become necessary to reduce the hardship occasioned by the removal of subsidy.
Epeya said the association will meet with fuel dealers in the area with the view to soliciting their support towards the success of the proposed fair reduction
He also said the drivers are operating on near zero accident level, but added the issue of piracy is still a source of concern.
The Vice Chairman, however, said drivers in the area are having difficulties meeting up with the amount for drivers licensing, stressing that some drivers are complaining of not being able to meet up with the payments even when the amount was reduced from N40,000 to N35,000.
He stressed the need for government to come to their aid by further reducing the amount.
Epeya also lamented the high cost of speed boat maintenance, stressing that even cost of securing lifebuoys for passengers is affecting their operations.
Reacting, a speedboat driver who spoke under condition of anonymity, said he and his colleagues will consider reduction if the price of fuel comes down.
“I don’t know how they are going to do it, but if petrol remain like this,we will not bring down the fare”, he said.

By: John Bibor