Commercial drivers Monday morning expressed worries over low passenger turnout at various motor parks in Enugu metropolis.
At Holy Ghost, Garriki and Abakpa motor parks, where NewsNGR visited, passengers were scanty, with some of them not sure of loading their buses to their full capacities.
“My route is Abuja,” John Ogbonna, a driver, said at Enugu bus terminal at Holy Ghost. “It’s almost 8am, and our first bus is yet to move. No passenger rush unlike yesterday. And I can’t explain the reason. By this time yesterday, about four buses had left. I’m not sure of travelling to Abuja today from the look of things.”
At parks of major commercial transport companies visited, the story was the same thing. A ticket seller, Ngozi, said the cause of the low-passenger surge might be the fear of the sit-at-home in the South East region of the country.
According to her, “The phobia of the Indigenous People of Biafra might be the cause. That is my thinking. Most people that travelled home might be thinking that the order is still in force. They may not want to risk it. I was early to office today, hoping to be overwhelmed by passengers. We are yet to fully load any bus. Our drivers are complaining.”
Jude Ossai said he never planned to travel today.
According to him, Mondays have always been observed as sit-at-home despite the cancellation of the order by IPOB. “Aside transporters, some banks don’t operate in the state. You will see how passengers will come out tomorrow. Many people have also converted Mondays to rest days. I came in from Abuja last night, and I programmed to stay with my family all through today.”
Ifeoma Eya is a passenger on board a Sienna bus at Abakpa. She said, “I targeted the first bus so I could get to Abuja early enough. But here we are. The bus is yet to move. It’s frustrating. Passengers are not forthcoming.”
A survey carried out by our correspondent showed varying transport fares within the metropolis. Sienna buses charge N50,000 to Abuja while it costs N60,000 to Lagos. Air-conditioned commuter buses charge between N30,000 and N32,000 to Abuja. Non-air-conditioned buses charge between N20,000 and N18,000 to Abuja. Eighteen-seater buses without air-condition charge between N35,000 and N40,000 to the FCT.
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