Commuters in Imo and Abia travelling for the Christmas celebration and other private purposes have expressed deep concern over the sharp hike in fares by transporters.

They also decry the longer travelling time and stress occasioned by the “numerous” military and police checkpoints mounted at close range on the various routes in the South-East states.

A cross-section of the people told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews that they spend longer time on the road than normal, due to the multiple checkpoints.

Also, the commuter drivers alleged extortion by the operatives who man the checkpoints.

A commercial vehicle driver, Mr Charles Agwulonu, who plies the Owerri-Aba route, lamented that the trip, which ought to last for 40 minutes now takes about two hours due to avoidable delays at checkpoints.

Also, Mr Ugochukwu Okeiyi, who plies the Owerri-Umuahia route, said the ongoing reconstruction of the road by the Federal Government was impeding smooth vehicular  movement, especially with more vehicles on the road during the Yuletide celebration.

Okeiyi said that the money expended at checkpoints “to settle” operatives, was always considered in fixing the fares by transport unions.

“The money we spend in settling the military and police at checkpoints is transferred to passengers, hence the fare increase,” he said.

Travellers from Owerri to Enugu and Port Harcourt also complained about the numerous checkpoints on the roads and the resultant delays.

Mrs Chinwendu Uju said that the development exposes commuters to avoidable risks and inhuman treatment as passengers were sometimes made to disembark from their vehicles and trek across military checkpoints.

A traveller, Mr Chukwudi Okeke, said that checkpoints had become “money spinners” for operatives rather than a security measure to check the activities of criminal elements.

“Rarely do these operatives at checkpoints stop crime from happening because even the criminal elements also drop money and pass and go ahead to execute their operations,” Okeke said.

Other travellers bemoaned the hike in fares, especially from Owerri to Lagos and Abuja.

Transport companies, such as Peace Mass Transit and ABC, charge as high as between N23,000 and N25,000 from Owerri to Lagos and between N35,000 and N38,000 from Owerri to Abuja.

Also, commuters now pay as much as between N5,500 and N17,300 by Hiace and Sienna buses from Owerri to Port Harcourt, respectively.

Fares from Owerri to Aba also went up from N2,500 to N3,000, while Owerri to Umuahia also increased from N3,000 to N4,000 by Hiace and Sienna buses.

In Abia, commuters and commercial vehicle drivers also go through similar experience, in terms of the fare hikes and multiple military and police checkpoints that delay vehicular movements.

A driver, Sunday Emetuh, who plies Umuahia-Ohafia route, said that their major problem was the deplorable condition of the road,  currently undergoing rehabilitatiob by the State Government.

Emetuh said that because of the dilapidation of the road, drivers go to Ohafia through Bende Road, which is also being fixed by the Federal Government.

He regretted that the rehabilitation work had suffered serious setbacks due to its “politicisation” by some politicians from the area.

He blamed the last Sunday’s fatal accident at Mmuri end of the road, which claimed eight lives, on the deplorable condition of the road.

“For now, we have no other problem because we are not disturbed by the army or police on the route,” Emetuh said.

For Theophilus Onyeze, a driver on the Umuahia-Owerri route, the “mode of operation” at the military checkpoints was causing long delays, ranging from 30 minutes to one hour at a particular spot.

“The Joint Security Team on our road, when they see young men, they bring them out of the vehicle and this causes delays, lasting between 30 minutes and about two hours.

A commuter, Ndubuisi Iheme, said that the problem they were facing was the fare hike from Umuahia to Aba.

He said that while the fare had been N1,500 since early November, the long Coaster buses increased it to N2,000 for a 45-minutes journey.

He also said that the presence of Federal Road Safety Corps, the Army and Police on the route delays vehicular movement and increases travelling time.

“These operatives at checkpoints park stubborn drivers in one spot, causing unnecessary hold up that stretches long distances, “until the drivers do something”, he said.

A civil servant in Umuahia, Mr Promise Kanu, said the hike in fares resulted in the increase in the cost of goods and services.

Kanu said that he paid N1,700 to Aba from Umuahia as against N1,500 charged last week.

He said that the development had worsened the economic hardship, adding that most traders in Umuahia usually source their wares from Aba.

According to him, the hike in fares will naturally reflect in the cost of goods and services.

Kanu called on government at all levels to provide interventions that would cushion the effect of general increase in the cost of living.

Another resident, Mr Ibeabuchi Jerry-Gab, said that he feared that many people might not be able to travel to their villages for the Christmas.

“I travelled to Arochukwu from Umuahia by bus at N7,000, as against between N4,000 and N5,000,” Jerry-Gab said.

He further said that some prospective travellers got stranded at the park, when they realised that their budgets were not enough for their trip.

He appealed to the government to provide buses to commute passengers at subsidised rates during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Jerry-Gab also appealed to the Federal Government to consider restoring fuel subsidy to further drive down the cost of living in the country.

A mother of four, who pleaded anonymity, said that she was travelling to Abakaliki and was asked to pay N6,500 fare and N2,000 for her luggage.

She said, “The outrageous fares charged by transporters this season are irritating.”

Some other prospective holiday makers described the situation as  frustrating and “no longer acceptable to the masses”.

They blamed the drivers for the hike, saying that the fare hike was unjustified, given the marginal cut in the price of petrol.

Notwithstanding the fare hike, many people were seen at different parks in Umuahia ready to make the Christmas travel.

At the Peace Mass Transit Park, Umuwaya Road, many prospective travellers were seen getting prepared to embark on their journey.

From Umuahia to Onitsha attracted N5,600 fare, and N6,600 to Asaba as against N4 500 and N5,500 previous fares, respectively.

Umuahia to Enugu and Lagos is now N5,600 and N26,000, respectively.

An Enugu-bound passenger, Mr Greg Orji, said it had become difficult for people to travel with their families at Christmas because of the exorbitant fares.

“Of course, transport fares are high but people will still have to travel to celebrate Christmas but many may not go with their families.

“I think the drivers are not helping matters even when the price of fuel has reduced a bit,” he said.

But a driver, Mr Nathaniel Okoye, who plies Umuahia-Onitsha and Enugu routes, attributed the high fares to the increase in fuel price since the subsidy removal.

“The drivers should not be blamed for the high fares because we too are feeling the pain.

“Nothing much was reduced in the pump price, because we were buying a litre between N1,100 and N1,120 before and now between N1,070 and N1,080,” he said.

He argued that the marginal price reduction was insignificant to force down tranaport fares. (NAN)