Lagos, Sokoto, Abuja spent more on  transport in 2020 – NBS

Two states – Lagos and Sokoto – and the Federal Capital Territory paid more for road transportation in 2020, the National Bureau of Statistics has said.

The NBS said this in its Transport Fare Watch data. Data for December 2020 was not yet provided.

Commuters in Lagos paid an average of N3,073.41 for intercity bus journeys in October, compared to N3,100 in November. This represents a 0.86 per cent increase.

In Sokoto, they paid N3,055.12 for intercity bus journeys in October, compared to N3,100 in November. This represents 1.46 per cent increase.

Those in Abuja paid an average of N4,376.09 for intercity bus journeys in October, compared to N4,380.40 in November, representing a 0.09 per cent increase.

Similarly, the statistics office in its November Transport report ranked states with the lowest bus journey fares within cities. Bayelsa recorded N1,500.10; Enugu N1,597.10; and Bauchi N1,642.12.

Safety and environment consultant, Patrick Adenusi, said due to the poor regulation of the transport sector, commuters would likely pay more for transport.

Last September, the Federal Ministry of Transportation announced the launch of a committee to draw guidelines for the disbursement of a N10bn palliative fund for road transport operators and workers.

However, Team Leader of the Presidential Committee on Clearing of Apapa Port and Access Roads, Kayode Opeifa, in a webinar, said that the N10 billion COVID-19 intervention fund announced by the Federal Government for road transport workers and operators in Nigeria was grossly inadequate.

He also called for a revisit of the National Policy on Mass Transit in Nigeria.

In December 2020, the Federal Government commenced the disbursement of N30,000 grants for taxi, bus, okada, Keke Napep, Uber, Bolt drivers and cart pushers across the country to cushion the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Taxi-hailing drivers under the aegis of the National Union of Professional App-based Workers kicked against the gesture.

Ayoade Ibrahim, President of NUPABW, argued that the grant was only targeted at 4,000 transporters in Lagos.

This, he said, meant that only an insignificant number of Uber/Bolt drivers would eventually get the fund. He sought for real empowerment in car loans instead of money that may not be able to go round.