By LUCY OGALUE

Many women in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have converted their private cars into informal taxis, popularly known as “kabu-kabu”, in order to make ends meet.

Some of the female drivers told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, that the move was necessitated due to the economic hardship.

NAN reports that the trend is becoming more visible as the women are seen at major junctions and bus stops across the city to pick passengers.

Many private car owners nowadays, most of which were females in luxury cars, now pick up passengers heading to different parts of Abuja.

A driver, Mrs Jane Nwaogara, said the development was largely driven by rising transportation costs following increase in pump price of petrol.

According to Nwaogara, the mounting household expenses such as school fees, rent and food, calls for additional sources of income.

“The economic hardship is biting hard. I have so many bills to pay including my children’s school fees, feeding, utility and medical bills, among others.

“Above all these, is the increasing cost in pump price of petrol.

“My salary cannot settle all of these, so I need to find additional income, thus my involvement in kabu-kabu business,” she said.

Similarly, Mrs Blessing Okafor, a mother of three who operates along the Lugbe to Area 1 route, said she started conveying passengers earlier this year to cope with rising household expenses.

“Things are very difficult now. School fees, feeding and house rent are not easy to handle with just one source of income,” she said.

Okafor said she decided to use her car to pick passengers during peak hours after realising that many commuters struggled to find affordable transport.

“I usually park at the junction in the morning and evening. Sometimes people are surprised when they see a woman driving kabu-kabu, but it is the only way I can support my family,” she said.

Another driver, Mrs Habiba Moses, said the increase in fuel prices and the cost of living had made it necessary for many families to look for alternative income sources.

“When fuel price goes up, transport fare also increases. Many people cannot afford the regular taxis anymore, so they enter our cars,” she said.

According to Moses, the income from conveying passengers helps her to buy fuel, pay utility bills and meet other family needs.

Mrs Erica Ekah, said since she adopted the practice of convening passengers to and from work, the issue of money to buy fuel was history.

Ekah said: “recently, I discovered that more female drivers, in their very posh cars are beginning to flood major junctions where we park to also pick passengers with their vehicles.

” People are really struggling these days , the economy is happening to everyone and no one is ashamed anymore, but are exploring different means of making ends meet.

“Transportation is critical to economic growth and issues around it needs to be taken seriously by governments at all levels for the betterment of citizens.”

Meanwhile, residents who patronised the service said the growing number of private cars operating as taxis reflected the level of economic pressure facing households in the capital city.

Mr Samuel Olatunde, a civil servant, said many workers now relied on side businesses to survive.

“My salary alone cannot cover my expenses and I think the same applies to everyone. Some of my colleagues carry passengers after work just to make extra money.

“Also, many private vehicles seen around busy junctions during rush hours are owned by workers trying to augment their income,” he said.

Some commuters, however, acknowledged that the presence of more private vehicles offering rides had helped reduce waiting time for transport, especially during peak periods.

Miss Ruth James, a trader, said, “I see people with very neat cars stopping to pick passengers. Some of them are mostly women who just want to make extra money.

“I think the motivation for many of them is simple ‘survival’, they are not doing it for luxury but because the economy is hard and their families depend on them,”she said.

Economic analysts say the growing participation of women in informal transport reflected broader economic realities.

An economist, Mr Eric Eze, said that worsening economic conditions in Nigeria was pushing more women into sectors traditionally dominated by men, just to generate income.

Eze said many households were turning to the informal sector because wages had not kept pace with the rising cost of living.

“When income is stagnant and prices and general cost of living keep rising, people naturally look for alternative ways to earn money.

“Women in particular, are increasingly entering transport and other informal businesses to maintain household stability.

“The expansion of informal taxi services may continue if economic pressures persist and public transportation systems remain inadequate,” he said. (NAN)