The
fear of kidnappers is the beginning of wisdom for many Igbo residents in Lagos
as many have refused to travel to their hometowns in the East for the Yuletide.Investigations conducted by P.M.NEWS at various motor parks in Lagos revealed that apart from kidnapping, other reasons cited by transporters and passengers alike for the low patronage at the motor parks, were high fares, bad roads and armed robbery attacks.
IN THE SIPRIT OF THE SEASON…Shoppers at last-minute buying at Yaba Market this morning. Photo…Idowu Ogunleye[b]
Many of the Igbo travellers interviewed blamed their inability to travel home for Christmas and the New Year on the spate of kidnappings in the East.[/b]
A unionist at the Ojota Motor Park, Kola Balogun, wondered why many are not travelling to their hometowns for Christmas this year.
He said it had taken more than four hours to load a bus going to Akure, Ondo State. Apart from the high fare which is now N2,000 from the previous N1,200, he blamed bad roads and the fear of armed robbery attacks as being responsible for the low patronage.
A visit to luxury bus motor parks located at Jibowu, Yaba, Ejigbo, Ikotun, Igando and Alimosho, mostly patronised by Igbo travellers, also revealed low patronage.
The situation was so bad that luxury bus operators were forced to reduce transport fares today (Monday), Christmas eve, that was supposed to be the peak of business for them.
At Ekene Dili Chukwu Motors, Jibowu, fare was reduced from N7,000 to N6,000 and to N5,000 for luxury buses while N5,000 instead of N5,500 was charged for mini bus going to the East.
Similarly, at the Ifesinachi Motor Park, the fare was reduced from N7,000 to N6,000 for a journey to Onitsha, Enugu, Owerri in aluxury bus.
At Peace Motors, Yaba, the fare to Onitsha was reduced from N5,500 to N5,000 this morning for a journey to Onitsha in a mini bus. At Chisco Motors, Yaba, the few travellers found there were made to pay N6,000 for luxury bus and N5,000 for mini bus.
Also at Edyson Motors which has parks at Ejigbo, Igando, Ikotun, Alimosho, PMNEWS was told that the fare was reduced to N5,000 per passenger to attract more passengers.
Ejike Madu, a manager with Peace Motors, Yaba said transporters were forced to reduce their fares because of low patronage.
He noted: “People are reluctant to travel. Things are very hard and this is responsible for the considerable drop in the number of passengers travelling to the East. Most passenger are also afraid of the men of the underworld. They are afraid of kidnappers.”
In his own opinion, a manager with Chisco Motors, Chidi Cletus, observed that big men were afraid of travelling to the East with members of their families because of fear of kidnappers.
“Also, the middle-level earners who would have filled the gap are suffering from economic hardship. Economic depression has affected many businesses,” Chidi said.
A traveller, Martin Ndukwe identified three reasons for the low turn out of passengers at the parks. They include kidnapping, bad roads and armed robbery attacks.
P.M.NEWS checks at the Pen Cinema, Agege, Lagos Inter State Motor Park revealed that there were fewer travellers today because of high transport fares.
For example, a transporter at the park, Abiodun Falade, claimed that because of the poor patronage, transporters were forced to reduce the fare from N1,000 to N800 on the Lagos-Ibadan route in the morning, adding that it was back to N1,000 at mid-day.
However, another transporter, Temitope Idowu said the fare on Lagos-Ibadan route was increased from N800 to N1,000 while Lagos-Ilesha fare that attracted N1,400 before now goes for N2,000 per head.
He said: “People are not travelling because they don’t have the money. But people who have social engagements like wedding, burial or other ceremonies to attend in their home towns are still travelling despite the high fares.”
An Osun State bound traveller, Odunola Kofowora, a civil servant at the Governor’s Office, Osogbo, said apart from the high fares, many people are not travelling at Christmas time because of the fear of motor accidents which are rampant during the yuletide season.
“Travelling to the north is highly risky. I cannot risk my life by travelling to the north at this period. Despite the slight increase in transport fare, drivers here charge between N800 and N1,000 for a journey from Lagos to Ibadan as against N800 before.
“For Lagos-Ilesha, they charge N2,000 instead of the former N1,400 fare. But a few people who have social engagements are still travelling,” she said.
Apart from the high fare, Odunola said the motor parks were bound to record poor patronage of passengers going to Osun because of the free train ride provided for Osun State-bound passengers by the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
She explained that thousands of travellers going to Osun State were willing to take advantage of the free train ride to and from the state rather than pay high fare at the motor parks.