N145 per litre: Lagos commuters to pay more

There are slight increases in transport fares in the Lagos metropolis as the pump price of petrol now sells for N145 per litre, according to a Federal Government directive announced on Wednesday.
The Federal Government on May 11, announced a new price regime for petrol at N145 per litre.
The petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) said in Abuja on Wednesday that the new price had taken effect from May 11.
The NNPC, however, has advised its retail stations on the outskirts of major cities to sell at prices lower than N145 per litre.
In Lagos, a trip from Mile 12 to Ojuelegba which previously cost N200 now costs N300; Palmgrove to Orile Iganmu, which was previously N100 now costs between N150 and N200, while Ojuelegba to Ajegunle now costs N150, as against N100.
From the Toll gate to Oshodi that was previously N200 is now N250, while Oyingbo to Bariga now costs N150, as against N100.
However, some areas like Yaba to Oyingbo still costs N50, while Costain to Oyingbo and Costain to Ijora are still at N50 each.
When contacted on telephone, Alhaji Nojeem Yasin, National President, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), declined to make any comment, saying that the union was holding a meeting of its stakeholders and that journalists would be briefed on the outcome of the meeting.
Mr Tajudeen Agbede, the Lagos State Chairman of NURTW, however, appealed to members to be considerate in increasing transport fares.
Mr John Osondu, a commercial bus operator, said that they had not increased fares because they were still patronising the black market, as most filling stations had yet to sell fuel, claiming that they were awaiting directives.
Mr Kareem Ishola, a bus operator who plies the Yaba to Oyingbo route, said that they have not increased fares because even with scarcity, most bus drivers usually bought fuel above N145 per litre.
“We should be considerate in our services because it’s a hard time now. If fares are increased, the cost of living will be very high and this will be a hard toll on all of us,” Ishola noted.