As a consequence of the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government, residents especially civil servants in Osogbo, the Osun state capital now generally trek long distances to their places of work, businesses, and other destinations as transport fares have hit the roof.
Also, many car owners who are government workers have reportedly abandoned their vehicles due to their inability to afford the cost of petrol which now sells for N500 per litre post-subsidy removal as against N185.
They have resorted to taking the minibus popularly called Korope to their offices.
Korope now charges N200 per drop for long distances and N100 per drop for short distances. On their own, commercial motorcycles called Okada charge between N200 and N300 per drop for short distances, and N400 for long distances.
Indeed fewer vehicles now patronise the filling stations selling the product. For instance, at the State Secretariat at Abere in Osogbo, where our correspondent visited saw a few civil servants driving in their cars.
Most of the workers especially females who are unable to afford the transport fare to their working places now resorted to trekking as
A top civil servant reportedly described the situation as worrisome, regretting that prices have gone up due to the removal of the subsidy.
He called on the state government to emulate Edo State Government and review workers’ salaries and number of work days in the week as parts of the measures to cushion the effects.
