Some motorists in Port Harcourt have said that they will be forced to increase transportation fare in order to make profit to take care of their families following the increase in pump price on Wednesday.
They expressed their concern with respect to how the increase in fuel price will affect their business when City News interviewed some of them in Choba.
Recall the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Rivers State Chapter had directed it's members to sell petrol between N161 and 163 for a litre.
City News monitored some filling stations around the Choba axis and observed that they were selling petrol at N160 per litre.
A motorist, Mr. Ayo, who plys Choba to Rumuola road told our correspondent that the increment has already started bringing him low income.
According to him, "The increase in fuel price has really affected my business in such a way that we are buying fuel at a higher price and I am now getting low income. There is a tendency that there will be a hike in the transport fare because we have to make profit at least.
”We have been charging N200 from Choba to Rumuola since fuel price was about 86 Naira. Now, the fuel price is almost double that amount and we are still charging N200. It's telling on us negatively”.
Another taxi driver, Mr. Matthew also complained about how slow business has become. He said motorists were still recovering from the previous increase in price from N123 - N150 before Wednesday's hike.
He said: "I believe that nobody is happy about the increase in fuel price. We are facing a very difficult time right now and as you can see, we are still trying to recover from the effects of the pandemic. Now, the government has increased the price in fuel for the second time when we were still adjusting to N150 per litre. This will create more hardship among the poor masses”.
Some other drivers told City News that business is moving slowly on the Choba to Rumuola due to the scarcity of passengers and some Police officers at roadblocks who allegedly harass them for countless levies on the route.
Mr Godwin who also operates on the route from Choba to Rumuola said: "You see how long this queue is from here to First bank? Some drivers may be here for a long time because it is as if people don't want to come out of their houses because they do not have money. Also, with the traffic and some of the policemen that harass us on the road, we find it difficult to pick up passengers”.
