Travel costs?
As Nigerians embark on their annual journey home for the Christmas holidays, they are being met with exorbitant transport fares and deep-seated anxiety over road safety, turning the season of joy into a period of severe strain.
At major motor parks across the country, fares have skyrocketed, far surpassing last year’s already high rates. For instance, at Iwo Road in Ibadan, a ticket to Ado-Ekiti now costs about N11,000, a sharp increase from the usual N7,000. Meanwhile, journeys to the eastern parts of the country now carry price tags comparable to airfares, with no guarantee of safety on perilous highways.
The situation has sparked public outcry, with many questioning whether transporters are exploiting desperate travelers or if broader economic policies are to blame. “Is it a hike in fuel price or a hike in greed price?” one commuter in Ibadan lamented, capturing the national frustration.
Data from booking platforms reveals an alarming surge. Trips from Lagos to eastern cities like Enugu, Onitsha, and Asaba now range between N58,000 and N73,000 for 15-seater buses. On some routes, such as Lagos to Onitsha via GUO Transport, tickets are selling out at N70,000, while Sienna buses on the same route are charging as high as N85,500. Similar trends are visible across operators like Good Is Good Motors, where tickets to Owerri are going for N50,000 with high demand.
Behind the price surge is a combination of rising fuel costs, increased operational expenses, and heightened security risks on interstate roads, where kidnappings and attacks have become frequent. This has created a perfect storm: transporters cite higher costs and risks, while passengers bear the brunt.
The federal government has yet to issue any fare regulation or palliative for road travelers this season, leaving many to pay what some describe as “panic prices” under the pressure of limited seats and urgent travel needs.
As park terminals overflow with anxious travelers, the question hangs heavily in the air: How much is too much for Nigerians just trying to make it home for the holidays?
