Despite President Bola Tinubu’s promise that transport fares would be reduced from October 1, commuters who spoke with The Guardian on October 2 in Kaduna, Oyo, Enugu, Abuja and Lagos, said that they were still paying the same fares, with no noticeable reduction in the cost of public transportation.

Tinubu had on August 27, 2027, announced that transport fare would be slashed across the country after meeting with state governors. He also re-echoed the position on September 19, 2026.

Transport fare in the Southeast region has remained the same despite the promise. Findings by The Guardian around major transport parks revealed that nothing has changed in what commuters were paying to travel to various locations in the region.

Enugu to Umuahia in Abia State by car from the Gariki terminal remains at N6,500, while buses collect N5000. Those traveling to Owerri in Imo State from Enugu pay between N7,000 and N7,500 for Sienna cars, while buses collect N6,000. Travellers from Enugu to Onitsha are paying N6,000 by car and N4,500 by bus.

The Toyota Hiace at God Is Good Motors (GIGM) to Abuja from Enugu collects N44,020 for online bookers, while those offline pay N45,000, while those traveling to Lagos from Enugu pay N42,500. These were the transport fares in major parts of September.

Commercial bus operators in Enugu urban have also not changed their fares. Tricycle operators who are the major transporters in the state still charge N300 for short distances.

An Operator, Caleb Obi, corroborated The Guardian’s findings, maintaining “nothing has changed because the interventions from the federal and state governments are yet to come.”

“We are still buying fuel at N1,400 per litre. There are no new transport schemes in place that could challenge what is already on ground. I don’t know how somebody will start contemplating a drop in transport fare when you have not made provisions for it. If I buy fuel at N1,400, do you expect a reduction in fare out of the amount? It is not possible,” he said.

Similarly, transporters and commuters in Kaduna State said they had anticipated a reduction in transport fare following the president’s promise, but nothing had changed in terms of what they pay commuting.

Some of the commuters who spoke with The Guardian said that in as much as the cost offuel is still on the high side, private transporters may not key into the announcement by the President to slash transport fares by fiat.

Specifically, a commuter, Monday Ade, who was about to board a bus at Sabo Motor Park, said that “there is no way these commercial bus owners can reduce the transport fares, knowing well that the cost of fuel has not come down.”

He further said: “Bus fares from Sabo to Kasuwa is N700 one way and the rate has not reduced. And from Samrada Filling Station in Ungwar Romi is N500 for a drop to Kasuwa, but nothing has changed.”

Besides, a commercial bus driver, Mallam Nasir Abu,wondered how they are going to reduce fare when they still buy fuel between N1,450 and N1500 per litre.”

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State government reacting to President Tinubu’s announcement to slash transport fares, said the citizens in the state are already enjoying free public transportation.

The Managing Director of Kaduna Line, Inuwa Ibrahim,said: “Kaduna State has an operational free public transport initiative introduced by Governor UbaSani, with about 60 number CNG-powered buses deployed daily across designated routes in the Kaduna metropolis.”

Also, residents and transport stakeholders in Oyo State have said there has been no reduction in transport fares, stressing thatfares remained largely unchanged in the last 24 hours.

Transport fare from Secretariat to UI remains N500 for commercial motorcycles and N300 for tricycle. From Mokola to Challenge, it remains N500 and N600 for commercial motorcycles. From Apata to Mokola, motorcyclists still collect N500 per person, while Bashorun to New Bodija for motorcycles remains N400 per person.

A public affairs analyst, Dayo Ogunbowale, said there has been no reduction in transport fares in the state.“There is no reduction,” he said, corroborating The Guardian’s findings.

Also, a resident, Fisayo Daramola, described the claim of fares reduction as propaganda, saying commuters were yet to experience any noticeable change.

A union leader, Olalere Adetunji, said there had been no decrease in transport fares across Oyo State.

“There is nothing like a decrease in transport fare across Oyo State in the last 24 hours,” he said.

A student, Akintayo Abioye, also said he had not observed any reduction in fares.Another resident, Andrew Ajaapofo, a businessman, said it was misleading to suggest that transport fares had reduced in the state when commuters were still paying the same rates.“It is a deceit to say fare has reduced in Oyo,” he said.

Similarly, a student, Oluchi Joy, said there had been no reduction in the fares she had encountered.

In Abuja, the experience is not different, as commuters across the Federal Capital Territory and its neighbouring suburbs said transport fares remain exorbitant with no reduction in the last two days.

In satellite towns like Bwari, commuters noted that transport fares to commercial hubs such as Berger and Wuse Market, which had climbed from N1,300 to N1,800 in late September, remained unchanged. The situation is similarly dire for residents of Mararaba, a densely populated suburb bordering the FCT, where fares fluctuate heavily depending on the time of day.

During rush hours, commercial drivers exploit desperate commuters by arbitrarily hiking fares by N300 or more above the usual N1,500, with trips to the Federal Secretariat often peaking at N2,000.

Elizabeth Tyesi, a Mararaba resident, lamented that the President’s promise had yet to hold true for those commuting along her axis.

“As at today, October 2, there is no noticeable reduction in fares because I spent about N10,000 on intercity transportation only, just coming into and going from the heart of the FCT.Nothing has changed on this axis,” she said.

It is same scenario in Lagos. Federal mass buses were still charging N500 for a trip between Mile 2 and Oshodi while yellow buses were still demanding between N700 and N800, which was the usual fare. Also, Oshodi to Mile 12 was still N400 for federal mass buses while Yellow buses were charging between N800 and N1000. The fare for train services remained the same. (The Guardian)

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