By Opeyemi Ologun & Itunu Adeniyi

Commercial drivers and motorcyclists have said that  transport fares  remain high, due to    the bad economic situation of the country.

Recall that transport charges in the country doubled during the fuel crisis that rocked the nation from February to April, after reports that adulterated fuel was imported into the country.

The commercial transporters told The Hope  that the fare was still high because  they paid huge amount of money to buy spare parts and maintain their automobiles.

Speaking with The Hope, a taxi driver,   Bernard Ayomide said that the prices of motor spare parts had increased in the market and there was need for drivers to increase transport fare.

He further explained that since  the time fuel became scarce,  prices of car parts were  increasing on daily basis.

Bernard also said that the price of engine oil which was N3,000 before had increased to N8,000.

His words, “I went to buy a bolt  for my car; the price of the bolt before was just N10 but now  N50  just the small bolt only, not to even talk about other things in the engine.

“So, everything we buy to fix the car, to make it ready to work,  now costly.

“We see a lot of people who have their personal cars, but cannot take them out and could only resort to taking taxis because there is no money to maintain it”.

Another taxi driver, Femi Seun added that the price of a taxi car, which was N500,000  before now cost N1.5 million .

He further explained ” before, the part of  a car, that we bought  for  N3,500   now  is N13,000 .

“We all have families,  we have to provide for them  and all these need  money.

Another taxi driver, who is a university graduate, Ogbonlaye Kehinde added that “there is no job and this is the work we do to keep afloat.

Other taxi drivers, who spoke with The Hope, also lamented that taking passengers for N50 has gone with  the current economic realities in the country.

Also, commercial motorcyclists did not hold back their lamentations.

Mr Samson Alade said that the cost of motorcycle and its spare parts had also  increased and becoming unaffordable for them.

He added  that the price of engine oil before was N350, but now increased to N750.

” Before, the price of a  tyre  was  N6,000    but now it is N10,000.

Another motorcyclist added that, “The cost of buying motorcycle  has moved from N250,000 to N380,000.

“Oil that we use to buy for N1,700 before is now N2,500. A lot of things have gone up.

“This is our only source of livelihood, looking at how Nigeria is now, if we use the little we have to maintain our motorcycles,  then what is the hope of  our families  to survive?” he lamented.