Transport fares across the country have remained stagnant at high rates despite the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, witnessing a 28 percent reduction since the massive price hikes experienced following the removal of the fuel subsidy over two years ago.

Immediately after the subsidy removal in May 2023, transporters increased fares. Since that period, the price of petrol has seen a gradual decline from its peak of N1,030 per litre in late 2024. The peak prices had forced transporters to hike fares to various locations nationwide.

However, the ongoing competition to control Nigeria’s petroleum downstream sector has seen the Dangote Refinery and major marketers engage in a price war, resulting in the product currently selling for between N739 and N850.

Interviews with citizens, commuters, and transporters confirmed that fares remain high despite this reduction. Commuters speaking with Daily Trust lamented the cost of transportation, while commercial drivers argued that fares would only drop if the prices of other commodities followed suit.

In Kaduna, commercial bus driver Hassan Maikanti argued that while the price of petrol has decreased, the cost of vehicle maintenance has not. He explained that a car tyre now costs N65,000 and engine oil costs N18,500.

“Spare parts have not become cheaper, so transport fares have not gone down,” Maikanti said. “It is like food sellers in restaurants; many have not reduced prices because the cost of ingredients remains high.”

However, Ummasalma Sani, a student in Abakwa, believes the refusal to reduce fares is a sign of exploitation. She noted that the fare from her home to the Sheikh Gumi Market remains N150 despite the fuel price drop. “Last Monday, we went to Kurmin Mashi and paid N400 for a NAPEP (tricycle) ride instead of the N300 we used to pay,” she lamented.

Another resident, Badamasi Adamu, noted that the N200 fare to the Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway bus stop remains unchanged. “At MRS filling stations, petrol is now N739 per litre, but operators have still not reduced fares for ordinary people.”

Situation in Abuja

In the Federal Capital Territory, residents and business owners say high logistics costs are draining their daily budgets. Tabitha Onah, owner of Dairy’s Darling, a Greek yogurt brand, said the situation has significantly affected her business.

“Fuel prices have dropped, but dispatch riders are still charging the same delivery fees,” she said.

She said her daily operating expenses have not reduced, noting that customers are also questioning why delivery prices have not gone down.

She called for better monitoring and engagement between the government, unions, and transport operators.

“There should be transparency so that people can understand why prices are not changing when fuel drops,” she added.

Polycarp Jonathan, a dry cleaner in Karu, echoed this sentiment. “Fuel is now sold between N835 and N900 in some places, but taxi prices are the same. Fares were increased because of petrol; why can’t they be reduced for the same reason?”

He added that the festive season surge makes reduction difficult, as commuters are often forced to pay whatever is charged to reach their destinations. Conversely, cab driver Seyi Sunday claimed some fares have dropped, noting that airport trips from certain areas decreased from N15,000 to N10,000.

He added that some routes that previously cost N2,000 now go for between N1,000 and N1,500, adding that the adjustment followed the slight reduction in fuel prices.

“I bought fuel today at between N830 and N926 depending on the station,” he said.

However, car dealer Irfan Aseku noted that transport pricing in Nigeria rarely goes down once increased, citing union dues and levies as fixed costs. Ibrahim Moscow, another driver, argued the reduction—roughly N80 to N100—was too small to reflect in fares.

In Jos, Plateau State, checks at motor parks revealed that fares remain high. At the Yandoya motor park, where vehicles convey travellers mostly to the central and southern parts of the state, drivers attributed this to the Christmas rush. Usaini Ibrahim, a driver at the Yandoya park, explained: “We used to charge N6,000, but now it’s between N7,000 and N7,500 because there are more passengers than vehicles.”

He, however, said there might be a reduction after the festivity as the number of passengers will decrease.

“The reduction in PMS may not be impactful for now.”

Another commercial driver at Bauchi Junction motor park, Habu Ibrahim, said the reduction in the price of fuel is insignificant and will not affect the normal price, saying any attempt to reduce the price is likely to affect them.

“We take passengers from Jos to Bauchi at N3,500, and up till now, the price is the same. We haven’t reduced the price because there’s not much difference between how much we buy the fuel before and now. We can only reduce the price when the fuel is sold at N500 per litre.”

Kano

Intra and interstate transport fares have remained the same despite reduction of fuel pump price from N935 to N850 in most filling stations including the NNPC retail outlets.

MRS filling stations are selling at even a lower price of N739 in Kano State from the previous N900 sold last week.

A visit to Kano line motor park at Kofar Nasarawa in Kano revealed that the fares remain the same despite the drop in fuel pump price.

Fares from Kano to Abuja remain at N15,000 in golf or Sharon cars; Kano to Kaduna is N6,000; Kano to Bauchi costs N7,000. A trip to Adamawa from Kano costs N17,000 just as Kano to Gombe remains at N10,000.

A commercial driver, Mu’azu Abubakar Yahuza, told our reporter that the fares remain the same because the price was just reduced last week. He explained that the road transport business is at its peak period with people travelling for Christmas and New Year festivities.

Yahuza said commercial drivers like him suffered losses when the fuel pump price was hiked from about N200 to more than N560 and then to nearly N1,000.

“When fuel was selling above N500, transport fares to Abuja were about N10,000. The trip to Kaduna was also around N4,000. But when the price hit around N1000 per litre, we increased that fare to the current rate.”

A traveller, Lontong Yakubu, said she paid N6,000 as transport fare to Kaduna from Kano while Kolade Oyelore said Luxurious buses charge between N35,000 and N40,000 as transport fare from Kano to Ibadan and Lagos.

He said he deferred his trip till year end when the fares may likely drop.

Similarly, fares charged by commercial tricycle operators in Kano remain the same despite the reduction of fuel price.

A commercial rider, Ibrahim Rijiyar Lemo, said the fare has not changed because when the price was hiked by over 400%, operators only added N100 to the previous fares. He said it will take some time before the fares would come down.

“MRS filling station is selling at N739 for sure along the Katsina road, but the station is situated on the other side of the road. So, when I am coming out to the city centre in the morning, I only buy fuel at NNPC. And by the time I close in the evening, the station must have closed. Even today, I bought fuel at NNPC at the rate of N850 but day before yesterday, they were selling at N925,” said the rider.

Intracity, interstate fares remain high in Kwara

In Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, it was observed that despite the drop in fuel price, transport fares remain high in several motor parks visited.

Findings at the motor parks show that both intra-city and inter-state fares remain significantly higher than what passengers paid before the fuel price reduction.

For intra-city routes within Ilorin, Olunlade to Offa Garage costs between N200 and N250, compared to about N100 previously; Offa Garage to Mandate Market now costs between N350 and N400, up from about N300; Olunlade to Post Office is between N350 and N400.

Motorcycle rides within the city ranges from N300, N500, N700 and more depending on distance.

For inter-city routes from Ilorin, Ilorin to Lagos currently costs between N10,000 and N15,000 per passenger; Ilorin to Abuja is between N26,000 and N28,000; Ilorin to Ibadan costs between N8,000 and N10,000; Ilorin to Omu-Aran now costs about N4,000, up from around N2,500.

Passengers described the fares as unaffordable, especially during a period of economic hardship.

Commercial drivers at Maraba and Oja-Oba parks offered several explanations for why fares have not dropped.

Alhaji Suleiman, a driver who operates the Ilorin-Lagos route, said the reduction in petrol price has not reduced the overall cost of running a vehicle.

According to him, tyres, engine oil, batteries and spare parts have doubled in price over the last year.

He explained that maintaining a commercial vehicle now costs far more than what drivers spend on fuel.

Another driver, Bashir Musa, who plies Ilorin-Abuja, said drivers often return empty after long trips, especially outside festive periods.

He noted that fares are calculated not only for fuel but also to cover losses from return journeys without passengers.

Drivers also blamed multiple levies imposed by transport unions and park authorities.

A park official at Odota Garage, who spoke under anonymously, confirmed that drivers pay daily union dues, loading fees and security levies before leaving the park.

According to him, these charges are fixed and do not reduce even when petrol prices fall.

Passengers, however, believe drivers are exploiting the situation.

Mrs. Zainab Oladimeji, a civil servant who commutes daily within Ilorin, said she spends almost double what she paid last year on transportation.

She said any reduction in fuel price should reflect immediately in transport fares.

Mr. Tunde Ademola, who was travelling from Ilorin to Lagos, described the situation as unfair.

He said that while drivers cite maintenance costs, passengers are also facing rising food prices and rent, making high transport fares unbearable.

This version of your report has been polished for clarity, better grammar, and a more professional news tone while keeping the original quotes and sentiments intact.

Lagos transporters demand N500 fuel price before reducing fares

Commercial transporters in Lagos have expressed concerns over the static cost of transportation despite the recent decrease in fuel prices.

In interviews with Daily Trust, drivers highlighted several factors keeping fares high: price disparities among filling stations, non-compliance with new rates by some outlets, the skyrocketing cost of vehicle maintenance, and the refusal of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to reduce daily levies.

Samson Effiong, who plies the Ogba to Ojota route, described the reduction from N890 to N739 as minimal when compared to other operational costs. He noted that the cost of spare parts has become a significant financial burden.

“There are other areas affecting transportation besides fuel. Parts are very expensive,” Effiong said. “My vehicle has a gear problem, and when I checked the price, even a small one was N280,000. To buy tires, or even a 4-liter gallon of engine oil for N20,000, plus daily union payments—it’s too much.”

He added that the current N400 fare paid by commuters barely covers these overheads.

Calls for a ‘real’ reduction

Adeyinka Moses expressed frustration over the lack of uniform pricing across stations, arguing that only a drop toward N500 per litre would trigger a reduction in transport fares.

“The current reduction is just a jamboree. Today you see N800, tomorrow N850, and the next day N900. If we buy at N800, there is really not much difference from N900 because N4,000 still only buys about four litres. What is the difference?” he asked.

Moses stressed that a significant reduction would have a ripple effect on the economy. “It will affect everything. The cost of food items will come down, but not with this N20 or N100 they are taking off. If they want to help, it should come down to N500.”

Samuel Fagbemi raised the issue of non-compliance, noting that many filling stations have ignored the price slash.

“Most stations have not complied. We are pleading with the government to send agents to monitor these stations because their pricing is inconsistent,” Fagbemi said.

Impact on long-distance travel

For long-distance drivers, the stakes are even higher. Taiwo Adeniran, who drives from Lagos to Abuja via Jibowu, said a further fuel price drop could slash interstate fares by as much as N10,000.

“I appreciate what the Dangote Refinery has done. If fuel hits N500, drivers will be very happy. Currently, we charge N35,000 from Lagos to Abuja, but if fuel drops further, that fare could come down to N25,000 or N30,000,” Adeniran explained.

Another driver, identified as Samuel, echoed this hope for the Lagos-to-Onitsha route, especially during the busy festive season. “The price reduction is a welcome development. I believe it will eventually allow citizens to enjoy lower travel costs to the east during this period.” (Daily Trust)

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