Petrol scarcity bites harder as transport fares rise

Residents of Badagry have cried out over non availability of petrol at the filling stations in the area as well as the prohibitive cost of the product at black markets.

A correspondent of NAN who resides in the area said only three stations sell petrol in Badagry and Seme, with the cost ranging from N200 to N450 per litre.

While the cost of the product ranges between N200 and N220 in Badagry, it trades between N400 and N450 in Seme.

The only station that had stock, sells the product at an adjusted pump price of N280 per litre, while at the black market; it sells between N400 and 450 per litre.

The scarcity of the product had obviously affected transportation fares, which had increased by as much as 100 per cent.

A trip from Badagry to Seme, which used to cost N100 by taxi, has increased to N200, while Topo to the Agbalata market increased from N50 to N100.

A motorist, Olumide Oguntayo, who lamented the high cost of transportation, urged the government to find a lasting solution to the problem.

“This has been a recurring problem. The scarcity should come to an end once and for all, because this situation is worrisome. Government should find lasting solution because we can’t keep on going this way all the time,”  he said.

Dayo Ekundayo, a shop owner noted that the current situation had brought hardships to his family, saying his business had virtually ground to a halt.

“You cannot imagine the suffering we have been going through because of the present situation. There is no electricity, no petrol to power our generating sets and the heat has been unbearable,” he said.

“Things must change in this country because we can’t keep on going like this.”