Fuel scarcity: Fares rise in Enugu

CIVIL servants, parents and businessmen are now finding things difficult in Enugu, as a result of the lingering fuel crisis that has raised the price of petrol from between the official pump price of N145 to N200 and N250 respectively. The situation is becoming more worrisome because transport fare has continued to rise after the Christmas and New Year festivities, thereby causing hardship for the residents, especially parents who are grappling with the payment of school fees as well as the upkeep of their families. Mini buses that ply Garriki to New Market at hitherto between N80 and N120 fares now charge N150 and above. “Don’t you know that we now buy gas N250,” some conductors would say to justify the arbitrary fare increase. Investigation reveals that the motorists are actually fleecing the passengers because the fares charged are not commensurate with the rise in pump price most especially as some of them buy petrol at the normal price in the filling stations of some major marketers that have the products.