The new price policy adopted by “Town gboro” bus drivers on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, has generated mixed reactions among the students of the Department of Local Government and Development Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. As usual, the hike in fuel price has brought about a corresponding increment to the cost of transportation and the consequence has made several students of the department and beyond cry out.
As a sequel to an online survey, Voicy Pen News ( a campus news outlet under ACJOAU) had reported on Saturday, March 5, 2022, the reaction of students to the said unbearable increment of transport fare before and after the fuel price hike.
Students Narrate Ordeal
Wasiu Oluwapelumi, a 400L student who lived in AP area of Ile-Ife lamented bitterly on the situation “I spent N100 to and fro before the hike in transportation fare. “The situation was precarious after COVID-19 as transport fare increased to N160 but as a result of fuel hike now, it is bench at N200 and I only hope that fuel price hike is the only reason for the increase in transport fare”, he said.
Giwa Abdullateef, a Diploma II student, who stays at Parrakin Estate in Ile-Ife said, “the hike in transport price has not caused any inconveniences to me as I always take a bike, although I spent N350 before the hike but spent roughly N500 to N550 daily after the hike.”
Hussein Aishat, a 100L student who stays Off-campus said, “I spent a huge amount on transportation now.” She lamented that the price she is paying on transportation does not commensurate with the convenience she got as she spent N160 before the hike and N200 after the hike.
An anonymous student who resides at Asherifa Estate expressed her displeasure on the hike as she stressed “the seats of the buses are too tight to convey four passengers in a row as opposed to the three passengers before the hike. “Although, there is no change in price as I spent N100 before and after the hike but the convenience is nothing to write home about.”
Also, a student who pledges anonymity and resides at Igboya area of Ife said, “fuel price hike is the actual reason for the hike in transport price as I spent N350 daily on transportation before the hike and but now N500 after the hike.”
Shobande Oluwatimileyin, a 100L student who resides at Mozambique hall of residence, OAU campus explained her ordeal ” I spend close to N300 on Transport going to and fro campus, but now after the hike I spend close to N500 even more than that at times depending on where I’m going to”. “The new price does not commensurate with the convenience gotten as the buses now carry four passengers in a row”, she said.
Transportation is an integral part of the production process and the cost is appropriately factored into the market price of any product.