Beatrice Gondyi Bauchi
Commercial drivers and passengers in Bauchi State have lamented the rising cost of transportation, attributing their financial difficulties to high fuel prices and increasing operating expenses.
They called on the Federal Government to take urgent measures to ease the burden on transport operators and commuters, saying the situation was affecting livelihoods, business activities and household finances.
The concerns were expressed in separate interviews at the Obasanjo/Atiku motor park in Bauchi, where drivers and transport union representatives described the difficulties of sustaining their businesses amid rising costs.
Safianu Nuhu, a member of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) who has worked in the transport sector for 20 years, said the business had become increasingly difficult compared with when he started.
According to him, drivers previously made enough from passenger fares to cover their journeys, meet expenses and still earn reasonable profits.
He, however, said the situation had changed, with some drivers now spending several days without loading enough passengers for a trip.
Nuhu cited the cost of transporting passengers from Bauchi to Jos as an example of the financial pressure facing operators.
He said fuelling a nine-seater Sienna for the journey costs about ₦45,000, while the complete loading fare is ₦36,000.
He added that drivers also pay ₦3,000 to RTEAN officials and between ₦1,000 and ₦1,500 to loaders, apart from feeding and other expenses.
The driver said these costs made it increasingly difficult for operators to recover their expenses and provide for their families.
“Passengers too are complaining of high transport fares, and we are also complaining of fuel prices. Now, we are just working for fuel sellers,” he said.
Nuhu appealed to the government to reconsider its fuel pricing policies and introduce measures to reduce the burden on transport operators and ordinary Nigerians.
Another driver, Ibrahim Musa, who also has 20 years of experience in the sector, described the increase in fuel costs as a major challenge.
Musa recalled that he could previously fill a 98-litre fuel tank for about ₦200, but said he now spends more than ₦100,000 to fill the tank.
He explained that the money collected from passengers must cover fuel, park-related expenses, assistance to drivers without vehicles and feeding, leaving operators struggling to make ends meet.
Musa urged the government to address the challenges confronting transport workers, saying their ability to sustain their businesses had been severely affected.
The Secretary of the RTEAN Obasanjo/Atiku Chapel, Bala Mohammed, also expressed concern about the impact of rising fuel costs on drivers, passengers and the wider population.
He said drivers had to contend with fuel expenses, park charges and payments at checkpoints, yet some still returned home without enough money to meet their daily needs.
Mohammed further observed that some people were increasingly choosing to send goods through transport services rather than travel themselves because of the high cost of transportation.
He appealed to the government to consider the difficulties facing Nigerians and take steps to make transportation more affordable.
Passengers interviewed also described the rising cost of commuting as a growing financial burden.
Faiza Yakubu, who travels to Zaranda daily for business, said the fare she paid had increased over time alongside rising fuel prices.
She recalled paying between ₦150 and ₦200 previously, before fares rose through successive increases to ₦400, ₦500 and ₦1,000, eventually reaching ₦1,500.
Yakubu said the rising cost of transportation had made her daily business trips more expensive, adding that a reduction in fuel prices could help bring fares down.
Another passenger, Sadiya Zaranda, who travels to Bauchi weekly to purchase goods for her business, said her transport fare had risen from ₦400 to ₦1,500.
She explained that the increase had reduced the money available for other business expenses and affected her ability to meet daily needs.
The accounts of the drivers, transport union representative and passengers highlight the financial pressures confronting transport operators and commuters in Bauchi State.
They called for government intervention to reduce transportation costs and ease the economic difficulties facing workers, traders and other residents.
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