“Christmas Shock: Enugu Commuters Hit With 50% Fare Hike!”

According to Nivo News, commuters in Enugu are facing significant increases in transport fares ahead of the Christmas holiday, with prices on key routes rising by 45 to 50 percent amid the festive rush.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Investigations revealed that commercial transport operators implemented the abrupt fare hikes, citing seasonal one-way traffic flows and the high cost of returning without passengers as the primary reasons.

On the busy Old Park–Eke Obinagu route, fares that previously ranged from ₦400 to ₦500 have surged to between ₦700 and ₦800. Commuters travelling from Old Park to Abakpa now pay up to ₦800, compared to the usual ₦400–₦500. The Holy Ghost–Agbani Road corridor has also seen fares climb from ₦500 to ₦900. Intra-city bus fares have doubled in many instances, with shorter trips rising from ₦150 to ₦300, and other routes from ₦200 to ₦400.

Drivers defended the increases, emphasizing the challenges of the festive season. “Passengers are moving mostly in one direction because of the holiday period. If I carry passengers from Old Park to Emene at ₦500, there are no passengers for the return trip, forcing me to add almost the full return cost. That’s why fares appear high,” one bus driver explained. Another driver added, “Everyone is travelling to their villages. Without raising fares, we risk losing money during this period.”

Commuters, however, criticized the sudden increases as exploitative. Mrs. Chinenye Okafor expressed her frustration: “I was shocked this morning when they asked me to pay ₦800 for a route I usually pay ₦500 for. Fuel prices have actually dropped recently, so fares should decrease, not rise.” Mr. Ifeanyi Nwankwo accused transport operators of capitalizing on the holiday season: “Every Christmas, fares are raised without notice, and ordinary people bear the burden.”

Some passengers are calling on transport unions and government authorities to intervene and regulate fares during the holiday period to prevent arbitrary pricing. Efforts to reach the National Union of Road Transport Workers and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria for comment were unsuccessful.

As Christmas and New Year celebrations approach, commuters in Enugu continue to bear the strain of rising transport costs.