Amid the increase in the pump prices of petrol, on Tuesday, more residents, including civil servants in Borno state, abandoned their vehicles to embrace trekking, horseback riding, and the use of bicycles and tricycles for mobility.
During a tour of Maiduguri, the state capital, in the early hours of Thursday, PUNCH Online saw fewer automobiles and more pedestrians, including horse and bicycle riders, on main routes.
One of the pedestrians, Dadoon Pam, a graphic designer, told Punch reporters that the cost of mobility has risen dramatically as tricycle operators now allude to NNPC’s increase in petrol prices, causing commuters to pay nearly double the amount before the hike.
He also said, “This price has affected me terribly because, as a graphic designer, I need electricity to make my design. Now that we depend solely on fuel to work. This increase means I now have to charge my clients more. Though it will be bad for business, I don’t have an option as we speak.”
Jeremiah Blessing, an enumerator with a non-governmental organisation, described her experience, saying she had now adapted to the practice of breaking her morning movement by trekking halfway before boarding a tricycle.
In her words, “What I do now is to break my movement, trek to a point, then take Keke from there. Since the hike in fuel prices, it has not been easy because I go to work late almost every day. Sometimes, I stand up to 10 to 30 minutes before seeing a tricycle going in my direction because many riders have packed their tricycles due to the price increase.”
Tuja Mai Abba, a retired customs officer, stated that since the price hike, he has abandoned his automobiles in favour of commercial tricycles, adding that it saves money, particularly for short-distance trips.
“The government is confusing us about this issue of fuel subsidy and availability. You hear one story today and another story tomorrow. It is seriously affecting me; I have abandoned my car for a while now,” Abba said.
In the same vein, Daniel Omolara, a member of a non-governmental organisation, said, “Since I brought my car down to Maiduguri, I have never for one day left it at home to go to work. But today, if I try to drive that car out, I might push the car back home. There is no money to buy the fuel at that rate. Honestly, 5,000 Naira in fuel can no longer take me a day. Where will I be getting such money from?”
Furthermore, Michael Johnson, a private school teacher at D’littles International Maiduguri, informed our correspondent that he has embraced trekking and the usage of bicycles because tricycle riders have raised their pricing by about double the amount before the price rise.
“My school is not too far; I went there today on my own foot. Although we haven’t resumed, if it persists after resumption, I will learn to wake up earlier,” he said.
The pump price of petrol was increased on Tuesday to N855, N918, and higher per litre, with the prices varying across locations at NNPC stations in the country.
