By Hauwa Idris
Yusuf Zhara, a weary mother of three, sat anxiously at the Sokoto old market, near the Sokoto garage. She was deeply concerned about how to transport herself and her family in a 14-foot-high trailer to celebrate the 2024 December holidays and New Year in her home state.
Photo credit: Hauwa Idris
A native of Ibadan, Oyo state’s capital, Zhara recalled her last visit home in late 2022. The transportation fare from the Sokoto Motor Garage, popularly known as ‘Baban Tashan’, was N8,000. However, she was shocked to discover that the fare had skyrocketed to over N30,000.
“I couldn’t believe the drastic increase,” Zhara exclaimed. “It’s unbelievable.”
“Rather than paying over N30,000 for transportation, a friend suggested I opt for a trailer, which would cost me significantly less – N4,500,” Zhara explained.
She attributed the steep increase in transportation fares at the garage to the fuel subsidy removal. “If not for the trailer, I might have missed celebrating the festival with my family,” she lamented.
Following the inauguration of President Bola Ahmad Tinubu, one of his earlier actions was the removal of fuel subsidies. According to him, the removal was due to non-functional, necessitating petroleum importation.
The removal aimed to address issues like currency strain, subsidy abuse, and petrol smuggling to neighbouring countries. The removal of fuel subsidies posed both challenges and opportunities. It caused a 50% to 200% surge in fuel costs, affecting small and medium-sized businesses’ access to affordable power.
Reports of up to 15.6 million liters of petrol being smuggled daily raise questions about the accuracy of consumption data and the possibility of subsidy abuse.
Zhara is worried about the comfort and safety of traveling with her children on a 14-foot-high trailer, a far cry from the comfort of an 18-passenger bus or Sharon.
Going by the official figures of National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Road Transport Data, the Q2 2018 road transport data reflected that 2,608 road crashes and disasters occurred within the quarter under review. Data on the category of vehicles involved in road crashes in Q2 2018 reflected that 60.29% of vehicles are commercial (2,447), 38.63% are private (1,568), 1.08% are government (44) and the diplomat with zero (0) vehicle involved.
Speed violation was reported as the major cause of road crashes in Q2 and it accounted for 50.65% of the total road crashes reported. Tyre burst and dangerous driving followed closely as they both accounted for 8.59% and 8.40% of the total road crashes recorded.
A total of 8,437 Nigerians got injured in the road traffic crashes recorded. 7,946 of the 8,437 Nigerians that got injured, representing 94% of the figure, are adults while the remaining 491 Nigerians, representing 6% of the figure are children. 6,415 male Nigerians, representing 76%, got injured in road crashes in Q2 while 2,022 female Nigerians, representing 24% got injured.
Desperate Journey
Abubakar Sadiq’s life took an unexpected turn when he embarked on a perilous journey, boarding a trailer to travel back home – an experience he had never had before.
“The hike in transportation fares forced me to opt for a trailer,” Abubakar explained. A native of Ilorin, he recounted the harrowing experience, describing it as “risky, dangerous, and scary.”
The journey, which normally takes a day, lasted three days, leaving Abubakar stressed and shaken. “The trailer’s height made even simple tasks, like getting down to take a break, incredibly challenging,” he said.
Despite the ordeal, Abubakar expressed gratitude, saying, “I thank Almighty Allah for protecting me throughout this difficult journey.”
Abiola Semiu, another commuter, shared his ordeal with this reporter. When he arrived at Baba Tashan garage to board a bus to his hometown of Saki, a village in Oyo state, he was shocked to discover the fare had skyrocketed to N35,000.
“I had the money, but it was all I had, and I worried about how I’d survive after spending it all on transportation,” Abiola explained. Fortunately, someone informed him about a trailer that could take him to Ilorin for a significantly lower fare of N3,500.
Abiola jumped at the offer, but soon regretted his decision. “The journey was terrible, and I witnessed multiple trailer crashes along the roadside, losing hope of arriving home safely,” he recounted. Despite the harrowing experience, Abiola expressed gratitude, saying, “Alhamdulilahi, I made it home.”
Baba Tashan Garage’s Nonchalant Stance on Soaring Transport Fares
Despite the petrol price remaining unchanged from September to December 2024, investigations by this reporter revealed that drivers at Baba Tasan garage in Sokoto are largely responsible for the intermittent increases in transportation fares. For example, in September, the fare from Sokoto to Ilorin was N15,000, with Sokoto State having the lowest average petrol price at N961.67. However, by early November, the fare had risen to N18,000, and by late November, it had skyrocketed to N24,000, despite no changes in petrol prices.
By late December, the fare had surprisingly surged to N30,000. This prompted an interview with Hassan Lawal, affectionately known as Baba Lede at the garage who have been in the garage for 15-year, and serves as one of the committee at Sokoto to Ilorin unit at Baban Tashan garage, when asked about the sudden increase in transportation fares despite stable petrol prices, Lawal attributed the hike to Nigeria’s inflationary pressures. “Everything has increased, and we must adapt to sustain our livelihood,” he explained.
Lawal elaborated, “A vehicle spare part that cost N4,000 years ago now costs N15,000. Where do you expect us to find the extra funds? Our only option is to increase the transportation fare.” He continued, “A tire that previously cost N30,000 now costs N75,000. Two years ago, we spent N45,000 on fuel to transport people to Ibadan, but now we spend up to N100,000.”
Baba Lede revealed that another factor contributing to the fare increase is the extortionate practices of immigration, police, and army personnel on the highways. “The immigration officials, in particular, often demand bribes from us, and we have no choice but to comply,” he explained.
“Unfortunately, many passengers assume that the fares they pay go entirely to us, unaware of these additional expenses.”