New Pump Price: Intercity Bus Drivers Lament, Create Four Bus-stops In Osogbo

The leadership of Commercial Minibus Drivers’ Association in Osogbo, on Wednesday lamented over the pains being experienced by motorists and Nigerians due to fuel subsidy removal.

The Intercity commercial drivers said they have created four bus stops across the city, mandating all its members to start loading passengers at the newly created Bus stops so as not to be wasting the fuel.

The minibus drivers who stormed popular Ola-Iya around 8am on Wednesday with their buses lamented that they were not satisfied with the way things are going in the country, adding that the fuel increment has made things more harder for them.

According to them the new development was due to the hike in the new pump price of PMS.

While creating awareness on the new development, the Intercity commercial motorists halted the operation of commercial buses in Osogbo on Wednesday morning, so as to enforce the new operational system.

Speaking with our correspondent, the vice Chairman of Mini bus drivers, Osogbo unit, Mr Abodele Lateef said “we decide to create a rout/ bus-stop for all mini bus in Osogbo so that we have little money to incur on the fuel.

“Now we divide the rout into four places.

“Those plying Ola-Iya, Ogo-Oluwa , Abeere , Owode-Ede will carry passengers from there and then turn back from garage Ilesha , Owode will pick passengers from there and then turn back with passengers, those from Ota Efun and others will also do the same Oke-fia, Dada Estate will drop their passengers and turn back so that we won’t be wasting too much fuel this will take effect from tomorrow.

“This rout initiation and what we are doing today is just to create awareness for people to know.

“Our step does not affect the government of the state because we know we are in the State capital and we can’t stop korope from working so it would not affect the people who will be going to work.

“This ideal comes on day one we heard about the subsidy removal.”

Our correspondent, however, noticed that many passengers were stranded on Tuesday, as a result of the development.

Speaking on the pump price hike, a commercial motorists who identified himself as Taofeek, lamented the hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy.

He noted that even when the subsidy was first removed, majority of the commercial drivers could not afford the N500 price initially implemented.

Taofeek, said majority of them receive the increment in the pump price in a shock adding that “we do not expect more hardship than what we are currently experiencing,”

He therefore appealed to the government to provide respite that will cushion the effect of the hardship on citizenry.

Ends