Sunday 2 December 2012
allAfrica.com: InFocus » Tanzania City Launches First Commuter Train
Africa is taking off..slowly but surely!
allAfrica.com: InFocus » Tanzania City Launches First Commuter Train
allAfrica.com: InFocus » Tanzania City Launches First Commuter Train
Wednesday 21 November 2012
allAfrica.com: Rwanda: Public Transport Association Reviews Rules of Operation
'Article five of the code of ethics indicates that anyone that signs a working contract with RFTC should ensure that their vehicle will always be available for public use from 6am to 10pm.'
allAfrica.com: Rwanda: Public Transport Association Reviews Rules of Operation
allAfrica.com: Rwanda: Public Transport Association Reviews Rules of Operation
Tuesday 20 November 2012
Tuesday 13 November 2012
Saturday 10 November 2012
Tuesday 6 November 2012
Monday 5 November 2012
Okada: Time to Get Rid of Them is Now!
In recent times, there has been a lot of comment about the status of Bike Taxis in Nigeria. These taxis, locally known as 'Okada', have become a major feature of public transport in rural and urban Nigeria. Dating to the strife-ridden days of military rule and the severe economic deprivations of that era, Okadas replaced dilapidated taxis and the 'last cars' driven by the decimated middle class of the 1990s.
Along with high level youth unemployment and a near-total breakdown of law and order and open season in public roads regulation, the Okadas became an established mode of quick and affordable transport. It is its flexibility - being able to do the last mile with ease as it wove through the notorious traffic jam of most Nigerian cities and towns - that has endeared it to the hordes of urban and rural dwellers.
Of course, the dark cloud in the Okada silver lining has been a myriad of undeniable negative factors.
First, it has been a major source of road traffic accidents. The essential point lies with the skills of the Bikers. The received wisdom is that it takes less than an hour to make an Okada Biker. This appalling level of training and an absence of proper certification, as well as uncertain quality of bikes and associated equipment has brought the lens of government regulation on the operations of Okada in most parts of Nigeria.
Second, Okada have been linked to the spate of violent crimes ranging from abductions and kidnappings, rapes, murders, armed robbery of banks and private homes. It is thought that criminal gangs use agents on bikes to carry out surveillance on target locations and also to move into an area in pairs while avoiding any attention from law enforcement agencies. It is also believed that criminals make their escape on Okada. In view of this, some neighborhoods prohibit Okada from operating in their areas. It is this direct link between violent crime and Okada that has forced governments to focus on them as part of their strategy to tackle crime and social cohesion.
Third, Okada phenomenon has been blamed for the paucity of young people taking up apprencticeships and training places in the trades and professions. The get-rich-quick mentality through which young people are able to earn cash daily by driving a taxi bike for an enterpreneur-owner provides instant gratification that a tenured training place does not offer. Governments believe that it is essential to curb the Okada-Driver career option as it is not sustainable. The high risk of injury and death and the subsequent impact on dependents without a breadwinner requires is a pointer to the need to regulate and reduce the role of Okada in the transport supply chain.
Several states have also banned Okada and others are in the process of doing so. This is a step in the right direction. The Okada phenomenon is one whose star has dimmed. It is time that governments at all levels take the bull by the horns and tackle the need for an integrated public transport system. A strategy of abandoning public transport to an unmanageable horde of motorcyclists whose training is suspect and their motives more doubtful is an unwise one.
It is time to tame the menace of Okada and consign them to the dust heap or at least to the margins of a proper integrated public transport system fit for a modernising society as Africa is aiming to become.
Along with high level youth unemployment and a near-total breakdown of law and order and open season in public roads regulation, the Okadas became an established mode of quick and affordable transport. It is its flexibility - being able to do the last mile with ease as it wove through the notorious traffic jam of most Nigerian cities and towns - that has endeared it to the hordes of urban and rural dwellers.
Of course, the dark cloud in the Okada silver lining has been a myriad of undeniable negative factors.
First, it has been a major source of road traffic accidents. The essential point lies with the skills of the Bikers. The received wisdom is that it takes less than an hour to make an Okada Biker. This appalling level of training and an absence of proper certification, as well as uncertain quality of bikes and associated equipment has brought the lens of government regulation on the operations of Okada in most parts of Nigeria.
Second, Okada have been linked to the spate of violent crimes ranging from abductions and kidnappings, rapes, murders, armed robbery of banks and private homes. It is thought that criminal gangs use agents on bikes to carry out surveillance on target locations and also to move into an area in pairs while avoiding any attention from law enforcement agencies. It is also believed that criminals make their escape on Okada. In view of this, some neighborhoods prohibit Okada from operating in their areas. It is this direct link between violent crime and Okada that has forced governments to focus on them as part of their strategy to tackle crime and social cohesion.
Third, Okada phenomenon has been blamed for the paucity of young people taking up apprencticeships and training places in the trades and professions. The get-rich-quick mentality through which young people are able to earn cash daily by driving a taxi bike for an enterpreneur-owner provides instant gratification that a tenured training place does not offer. Governments believe that it is essential to curb the Okada-Driver career option as it is not sustainable. The high risk of injury and death and the subsequent impact on dependents without a breadwinner requires is a pointer to the need to regulate and reduce the role of Okada in the transport supply chain.
Several states have also banned Okada and others are in the process of doing so. This is a step in the right direction. The Okada phenomenon is one whose star has dimmed. It is time that governments at all levels take the bull by the horns and tackle the need for an integrated public transport system. A strategy of abandoning public transport to an unmanageable horde of motorcyclists whose training is suspect and their motives more doubtful is an unwise one.
It is time to tame the menace of Okada and consign them to the dust heap or at least to the margins of a proper integrated public transport system fit for a modernising society as Africa is aiming to become.
Thursday 25 October 2012
Saturday 20 October 2012
Friday 19 October 2012
Friday 28 September 2012
A LACK OF INTEGRITY - THE PROBLEM IN NIGERIAN AVIATION
By Michael O Banjo
Lately, different players in the Nigerian Aviation sector have traded blows on 'what is what' about the simple matter of how to fly paying customers from Point A to Point B in Nigeria. The tripartite bout included the airports infrastructure body, FAAN [Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria], the employees' union within FAAN and the dominant airline, Arik Air.
The direct fall-out of this conflcit was that Arik Air grounded its flights in protest at the invasion of its premises which included fully boarded aircraft by employees of FAAN who said they acting to request Airk Air to pay its debts - said to be 8 Billion Naira - by FAAN. Otherwise, their salaries would not be paid. The airline denied it owed that much to FAAN. FAAN denied it had anything to do with the action of its unionised employees. Arik Air played the victim-card, alleging political power-play and accused the Minister of Aviation of a witch-hunt after her alleged request for 5% of Arik's shareholding be given to her was refused.
This unglamorous exchange has led to questions about the nature of aviation in Nigeria. First of all, the important issue of funding of aviation assets and infrastructure. It is clear that the operations of FAAN are not robust enough to underpin the smooth running of airports in Nigeria. That FAAN employees have to invade the premises of a customer and force it to shut down its operations - effectively killing the goose laying the golden egg or cutting your nose to spite your face - is a sad reflection of the appalling state of employee engagement. That the leadership of FAAN was complicit or passive as this situation occurred is a serious indictment of the airports regulator.
But at the bottom of this recent episode in the parlous state of aviation in Nigeria is a lack of integrity at the heart of Big Business and Big Government. The allegation concerning unsavoury demand for shares by a serving Minister is a damaging one though it has been denied. However, as it with most things in Nigeria, there is no smoke without fire. An operator like Arik Air is a beautiful bride and worthy of courtship. And because there is so much known about underhand and insider deals by high government officials, most Nigerians will likely believe Arik Air.
If that is the case, the dedication of senior government officials is called into question. Because, if the head is rotten, what becomes of the body? Then it is obvious that operators who know the divided interests of senior officials will have little confidence in policy announcements that are usually a cloak for thieving of public funds. Some of these funds are actually hypothecated fees from operators like Arik Air. The fact that year in, year out, airlines and other aviation operators including ground services see scant improvement in the services FAAN provides is a major disincentive to paying the unreasonable fees.
Airlines are expensive to run anywhere. In Nigeria, it is doubly so as a result of a poor system for everything that needs state leadership
Now that the cloud of the recent conflict has cleared, we wait and see what happens next. Will there be a true commitment to airports renewal beyond the usual mantra of 'contracts announcement' and little change.
It is time that the stakeholders sat down and offer a genuine path to progress removed from personal interest.
And, by the way, in the spirit of Airport Reform, when is Aviation Minister Stella Oduah going to remove this eyesore at Murtala Muhammed International Airport?
Lately, different players in the Nigerian Aviation sector have traded blows on 'what is what' about the simple matter of how to fly paying customers from Point A to Point B in Nigeria. The tripartite bout included the airports infrastructure body, FAAN [Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria], the employees' union within FAAN and the dominant airline, Arik Air.
The direct fall-out of this conflcit was that Arik Air grounded its flights in protest at the invasion of its premises which included fully boarded aircraft by employees of FAAN who said they acting to request Airk Air to pay its debts - said to be 8 Billion Naira - by FAAN. Otherwise, their salaries would not be paid. The airline denied it owed that much to FAAN. FAAN denied it had anything to do with the action of its unionised employees. Arik Air played the victim-card, alleging political power-play and accused the Minister of Aviation of a witch-hunt after her alleged request for 5% of Arik's shareholding be given to her was refused.
This unglamorous exchange has led to questions about the nature of aviation in Nigeria. First of all, the important issue of funding of aviation assets and infrastructure. It is clear that the operations of FAAN are not robust enough to underpin the smooth running of airports in Nigeria. That FAAN employees have to invade the premises of a customer and force it to shut down its operations - effectively killing the goose laying the golden egg or cutting your nose to spite your face - is a sad reflection of the appalling state of employee engagement. That the leadership of FAAN was complicit or passive as this situation occurred is a serious indictment of the airports regulator.
But at the bottom of this recent episode in the parlous state of aviation in Nigeria is a lack of integrity at the heart of Big Business and Big Government. The allegation concerning unsavoury demand for shares by a serving Minister is a damaging one though it has been denied. However, as it with most things in Nigeria, there is no smoke without fire. An operator like Arik Air is a beautiful bride and worthy of courtship. And because there is so much known about underhand and insider deals by high government officials, most Nigerians will likely believe Arik Air.
If that is the case, the dedication of senior government officials is called into question. Because, if the head is rotten, what becomes of the body? Then it is obvious that operators who know the divided interests of senior officials will have little confidence in policy announcements that are usually a cloak for thieving of public funds. Some of these funds are actually hypothecated fees from operators like Arik Air. The fact that year in, year out, airlines and other aviation operators including ground services see scant improvement in the services FAAN provides is a major disincentive to paying the unreasonable fees.
Airlines are expensive to run anywhere. In Nigeria, it is doubly so as a result of a poor system for everything that needs state leadership
Now that the cloud of the recent conflict has cleared, we wait and see what happens next. Will there be a true commitment to airports renewal beyond the usual mantra of 'contracts announcement' and little change.
It is time that the stakeholders sat down and offer a genuine path to progress removed from personal interest.
And, by the way, in the spirit of Airport Reform, when is Aviation Minister Stella Oduah going to remove this eyesore at Murtala Muhammed International Airport?
Monday 17 September 2012
Lagos BRT to link Ikorodu to Lagos Island
Just in case you never heard...
"Lagos, a city famous for its hours long traffic jams, will expand its bus rapid transit (BRT) system to the Ikorudu neighborhood, adding 15 new stations and a dedicated bus lane running parallel to an existing roadway. The expanded system is forecast to carry 160,000 passengers daily." [TheCityFix].In its determination to resolve the endemic gridlock that plagues the city, the Lagos state authorities have commenced work on the extension of the Lagos BRT from the fringes of Ojota to the satellite city of Ikorodu. Lat April, while I was in Lagos, I drove to Ikorodu on a Sunday. To say it was an ordeal is an understatement. The single carriage road leading to it from Ketu through the ancient riverine communities at Majidun was inadequate. Entering Ikorodu itself was a difficult challenge as all the traffic into the town and by-passing it to neighbour towns like Ejinrin towards Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode was funneled via roundabout at the approach. It felt like hitting a brick wall at slow speed.
As usual, the typical scene was one of urban chaos. There were buses and lorries vying for the limited space. The 'agberos' [young men hustling for passengers into commercial vehicles] were having a field day. The road space had become a parking bay or bus stand or else it was used for makeshift shops and temporary kiosks. The LASTMA [Lagos State Traffic Management Authority] were not having any success managing the horrendous traffic. In fact, the entrance was worse than the exit. Leaving Ikorodu by 5pm on this fateful Sunday, we ran into heavy traffic approaching the same roundabout. It was the only sane way out of Ikorodu. You could decide to turn off the road into the side streets and join the Lagos Road beyond the roundabout. But one long look at the state of the side streets as well as the way that the cars on them tilted this way and that told you not to risk it. In the end, it took nearly 90 minutes to pass the junction.
The thought on my mind was that the government had failed to extend its magic wand to other needful parts of the megapolis. I also believed that the current regime had a plan to fix. Hence, I was delighted to learn that the BRT will soon be running from Ikorodu to Lagos Island. What a blessing!
I am certain that the Ikorodu BRT extension will bring matchless benefit to that area and the whole of Lagos. It will relieve congestion and reduce pollution. It will have direct economic benefit by reducing the amount of money spent on daily commute to the Lagos islands by employees and other travellers. Such savings will provide additional disposable income that will fuel the local economy. Ikorodu will also become the probably the first town in Lagos to have fully integrated transport through its already well-known ferry services.
I congratulate the Lagos state government on this milestone and can't wait to take a ride from Ikorodu to Lagos Island on a very smart BRT service.
Well done, Lagos!
Saturday 15 September 2012
LIGHT RAIL NIGERIA UPDATE: allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Shifting the Abuja Light Rail Goal Post
allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Shifting the Abuja Light Rail Goal Post
Now, we wait for progress on this important project.
Now, we wait for progress on this important project.
Tuesday 28 August 2012
Public transport saves you time, cash
Public transport saves you time, cash
An excellent description of how visitors to Europe and other countries with modern, integrated public transport systems can get around without getting inside a car.
An excellent description of how visitors to Europe and other countries with modern, integrated public transport systems can get around without getting inside a car.
6 African projects named among world’s 100 most innovative
6 African projects named among world’s 100 most innovative
The six projects are:
Tthe Brics cable project, in South Africa and Mauritius;
the Djibouti Railway, in Ethiopia;
the Lagos Metro Blue Line, in Nigeria;
the Durban waste-to-energy project, in South Africa;
the Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital, in Lesotho;
the O3b Networks project being rolled out across the African continent.
The six projects are:
Tthe Brics cable project, in South Africa and Mauritius;
the Djibouti Railway, in Ethiopia;
the Lagos Metro Blue Line, in Nigeria;
the Durban waste-to-energy project, in South Africa;
the Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital, in Lesotho;
the O3b Networks project being rolled out across the African continent.
Saturday 25 August 2012
E-Tolling on African Roads - What is going on?
The desire of African states to address the state of transportation infrastructure has forced a range of investment options on policy makers.
With ostensible pressure from donor agencies and multilateral partners, private sector-led financing has taken prime spot in these investment arrangements. And because of the need to balance the upfront commitment of funds by investors, for the first time, many African citizens are facing a wave of road tolling projects in their backyard.
Road transport is the backbone of African economies and most people have some form of interaction with the road, rural or urban.
In Nigeria, the Lagos state government has been battling resistance by citizens to the road tolling scheme on the growing economic hub of Lekki-Epe Axis. The state government had given the Lekki Concession Company, LCC, the 30-year period of the concession with a view to upgrading the inadequate road previously in place. Massive protests were held and court actions filed by residents. So far their objections have not achieved a stoppage of the project as the LCC has commenced collection of tolls from the Victoria Island entrance towards Lekki.
In South Africa, the Constitutional Court of South Africa has not yet made judgement on whether it will overturn the injunction preventing the implementation of e-tolling, as requested by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) [TWA]. As in Lagos, Nigeria, where the Lekki-Eti-Osa-Epe residents Association spearheaded the opposition to the Lekki e-tolling project, an advocacy group, Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance [OUTA], is the albatross overhanging the Gauteng Freeway Project.
Why these objections? Primarily, money. The government has not got the money in the treasury to finance these large scale projects. And as economic opportunity opens up new frontiers, the state needs to prioritise allocation of revenues for social development such as education and capacity enlargement. That is the official line. The opposition alleges unfairness. They cry of lack of consultation, as in Lagos, where residents accuse the government of political cronyism in favour of the leadership of the ruling political party. There are also allegations, perhaps, with some merit, that the provision of alternative route to the toll road was not aligned to the time for commencement of e-tolling.
The issue of road tolling or e-tolling is one that's not going to go away. It will continue to feature in the considerations for funding large scale transport projects. The arguments that will endure will be about negotiations and consultations prior to project decisions. It will also be about transparency and due diligence to avoid undue politicization of a progressive financing model. Another point worth noting is that decision makers must take long-term views of their options. For instance, a Light Rail system would have been, in the long term, a better option in the Lekki-Ajah-Epe Axis. The amount of money spent in less than a year on mitigating the loss of toll revenues due to court injunction - 4 billion Naira [$25m] indicates that the road expansion was a less financially sound option. This discussion will be the subject of a separate blog.
It is my hope that governments will be bold to proffer sound investment options for transport in Africa. The key is multifaceted consultation with a clear public agenda free from hidden entanglements.
In truth though, there is no doubt that tolling and private financing of transport projects Africa is a model that has come to stay.
Thursday 16 August 2012
First London Diaspora Conference on Transport in Africa
As Africa's economies continue to grow and diversify, public transport is seen as a major driver of efficiency to accelerate latent potential and mitigate social impacts of. Governments, businesses and communities are investing in large-scale transport infrastructure building and renewal. In addition to these, human capacity issues relating to training, development, knowledge management, mentoring and competence management require fresh thinking and new perspectives.
What can you contribute - what can you deliver?
Look out for future information on the First London Diaspora Conference on Transport in Africa.
For sponsorship and partnership enquiries, please contact:
The Convener,
The London Centre for Transport in Africa
Email: transportinafrica@gmail.com
Saturday 11 August 2012
The full package of the new Lagos Road Traffic Law
The full package of the new Lagos Road Traffic Law
While attending a World Bank Urban Transport event in Lagos last year, I got into a discussion with a chietain of a key public transport organisation in Lagos. The issue was the abuse of the dedicated BRT lanes by certain groups of motorists. These were known to be military and police officers in official or private vehicles and commercial 'Danfo' drivers who had been consigned to operate in the service lanes following the advent of BRT in Lagos. Having expressed our mutual angst at the negative impact of the illegal use of the lanes, attention focused on the 'Danfo' commercila bus operators. The emphasis was on the seeming inability of legal process to regulate their misconduct.
In particular, the use of violence on officials of the traffic enforcement agency, LASTMA by thugs of the Danfo operators posed significant operational and security and safety risks. Often this led to unmanageable traffic gridlock as well as damage to vehicles and infrastruture. Loss of life and serious injury of enforcement officials was a source of low morale and eventually fed corruption in the system.
As the chieftain seemed to throw up his hands in frustration at the messy nexus of confusion, I suggested that the key issue for managing the infirngement of the BRT lanes was traceability of the offenders. He was not convinced but I insisted that a way had to be found to link the drivers and conductors using the BRT lanes illegally with their respective patrons. I said it was a known fact the buses were owned by people who belonged to a local branch of the NARTO - National Association of Road Transport Operators, and a way had to be found to attach the conduct of their employees to their commercial activites as bus owners.
I did not feel that the chieftain was persuaded. I also suggsested that, alonmg with this engagement with the NARTO owners, the enforcers should provide a facility for effecting traceability by using recorded footage of abusers to challenge the owners to apply pressure on their drivers and condcutors. I said this could be done by mobile CCTV units at strategic parts of the BRT lane. THis footage could be used on the regulator-sponsored outreach TV programme to show that abusers were no longer anonymous. To my alarm, the chieftain laughed, saying that I would be surprised that such footage on TV may be worn by the Danfo abusers as a badge of honour!
I was left in no doubt that the proble of enforcing segregation of the BRT lane as well as other public transport regulations -such as driving against traffic- remained a major plank of the strategy of the chieftain's organisation.
Thankfully, the Lagos state government has decided to tackle the menace of disjointed public transport enforcement with a clear intention - put a big cost at the actions of illegal behaviours.
This new law will achieve that provided the human and technical resources needed to maintain a high level of positive outcomes are provided. And for a start, concessioning of some of the enforcement roles is a first step.
While attending a World Bank Urban Transport event in Lagos last year, I got into a discussion with a chietain of a key public transport organisation in Lagos. The issue was the abuse of the dedicated BRT lanes by certain groups of motorists. These were known to be military and police officers in official or private vehicles and commercial 'Danfo' drivers who had been consigned to operate in the service lanes following the advent of BRT in Lagos. Having expressed our mutual angst at the negative impact of the illegal use of the lanes, attention focused on the 'Danfo' commercila bus operators. The emphasis was on the seeming inability of legal process to regulate their misconduct.
In particular, the use of violence on officials of the traffic enforcement agency, LASTMA by thugs of the Danfo operators posed significant operational and security and safety risks. Often this led to unmanageable traffic gridlock as well as damage to vehicles and infrastruture. Loss of life and serious injury of enforcement officials was a source of low morale and eventually fed corruption in the system.
As the chieftain seemed to throw up his hands in frustration at the messy nexus of confusion, I suggested that the key issue for managing the infirngement of the BRT lanes was traceability of the offenders. He was not convinced but I insisted that a way had to be found to link the drivers and conductors using the BRT lanes illegally with their respective patrons. I said it was a known fact the buses were owned by people who belonged to a local branch of the NARTO - National Association of Road Transport Operators, and a way had to be found to attach the conduct of their employees to their commercial activites as bus owners.
I did not feel that the chieftain was persuaded. I also suggsested that, alonmg with this engagement with the NARTO owners, the enforcers should provide a facility for effecting traceability by using recorded footage of abusers to challenge the owners to apply pressure on their drivers and condcutors. I said this could be done by mobile CCTV units at strategic parts of the BRT lane. THis footage could be used on the regulator-sponsored outreach TV programme to show that abusers were no longer anonymous. To my alarm, the chieftain laughed, saying that I would be surprised that such footage on TV may be worn by the Danfo abusers as a badge of honour!
I was left in no doubt that the proble of enforcing segregation of the BRT lane as well as other public transport regulations -such as driving against traffic- remained a major plank of the strategy of the chieftain's organisation.
Thankfully, the Lagos state government has decided to tackle the menace of disjointed public transport enforcement with a clear intention - put a big cost at the actions of illegal behaviours.
This new law will achieve that provided the human and technical resources needed to maintain a high level of positive outcomes are provided. And for a start, concessioning of some of the enforcement roles is a first step.
Thursday 19 January 2012
Friday 6 January 2012
'Fuel Subsidy' In Nigeria - Making Transportation Onerous
On New Year's Day, 2012, Nigerians woke up to a gift from President Goodluck Jonathan. His government announced that the 'fuel subsidy' that government provided to allow Nigerians enjoy affordable petrol costs was being withdrawn immediately. In one fell swoop, the pump price for petrol went from 65 naira to 141 naira per litre. This was no laughing matter. Instantly, many of those that traveled to their towns and villages for the Xmas and New Year celebrations became stranded as transporters - mainly interstate bus operators - jacked up their prices. Some increases were nearly triple the price of the original trip.
AllAfrica.com reports as follows:
In Lagos, the fares to most parts of the state were increased by over 100%. Transportation between Ikeja and Yaba now costs N400 instead of the previous N120; Obalende to Oshodi which used to be N70 is now N200 Ojodu to CMS is now N500 from N150.
Commuters traveling to Abuja from Lagos now pay between N6,000 and N8,000. At the Ekesons Motors in Jibowu, transport fare to Port Harcourt is now N6,000 from the previous price of N2,500. Many Lagosians are reportedly staying indoors due to the increasing transportation costs.
Presently, protests are spreading across the country. At least one person has been killed.
The government insists there is no going back because of the 'macroeconomic' benefits that are promised if the subsidy is invested in the productive sectors of the economy. Most Nigerians are not convinced as they have seen such past promises go up in the smoke of endemic corruption.
What is certain is that the cost of transport will go up. And not come down for the common man to benefit from the promised 'macroeconomic' benefits.
AllAfrica.com reports as follows:
In Lagos, the fares to most parts of the state were increased by over 100%. Transportation between Ikeja and Yaba now costs N400 instead of the previous N120; Obalende to Oshodi which used to be N70 is now N200 Ojodu to CMS is now N500 from N150.
Commuters traveling to Abuja from Lagos now pay between N6,000 and N8,000. At the Ekesons Motors in Jibowu, transport fare to Port Harcourt is now N6,000 from the previous price of N2,500. Many Lagosians are reportedly staying indoors due to the increasing transportation costs.
Presently, protests are spreading across the country. At least one person has been killed.
The government insists there is no going back because of the 'macroeconomic' benefits that are promised if the subsidy is invested in the productive sectors of the economy. Most Nigerians are not convinced as they have seen such past promises go up in the smoke of endemic corruption.
What is certain is that the cost of transport will go up. And not come down for the common man to benefit from the promised 'macroeconomic' benefits.
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