How transport fares increased across Nigeria in April

How transport fares increased across Nigeria in April

Many Nigerian states were on coronavirus-enforced lockdowns in April.
   
   
   
       
       
           
               
                   

Many Nigerian states were on coronavirus-enforced lockdowns in April.

               
           
               
                   

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says the average fare paid by commuters for bus journeys within city limits increased to N223.71 in April 2020.

               
           
               
                   

According to the agency's Transport Fare Watch report published on Wednesday, May 27, this represents an increase of 8.21% month-on-month and 23.43% year-on-year from N206.73 in March 2020.

               
           
               
                   

The report covers bus journey within the city per drop constant route; bus journey intercity, state route, charge per person; air fare charge for specified routes single journey; journey by motorcycle (Okada) per drop; and water way passenger transport.

               
           
               
                   

Many states in Nigeria imposed partial or total restrictions on movements in April in a bid to combat the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This led to a hike in fares that many commuters complained bitterly about as economic activities ground to a halt.

               
           
               
                   

The states with the highest bus journey fares within cities in April were Zamfara (N410), Kebbi (N348), and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja (N332.20); while states with the lowest were Bauchi (N140), Rivers (N150), and Sokoto (N155).

               
           
               
                   

The NBS conducted its study using prices collected across all the 774 local government areas across all 36 states and the FCT from over 10,000 respondents and locations.

               
           
               
                   

                                   

Nigeria has recorded 8,733 coronavirus cases in 35 states and the FCT, as of May 27 [Twitter/@nighealthwatch]

               

               
           
               
                   

The agency said in its report that the average fare paid by commuters for journey by motorcycle per drop increased by 10.56% month-on-month and by 27.45% year-on-year to N148.22 in April, from N134.07 in March.

               
           
               
                   

States with highest journey fares by motorcycle per drop were Rivers (N254), Lagos (N250), and Kogi (N231.11); while states with the lowest were Katsina (N70), Adamawa (N80), and Kebbi (N84).

               
           
               
                   

The average fare paid for travelling by bus between cities increased by 5.22% month-on-month and by 10.92% year-on-year to N1,779.51 in April from N1,691.23 in March.

               
           
               
                   

States with the highest bus journey fares intercity were Abuja (N4,120), Adamawa (N2,650), and Borno (N2,600); while states with the lowest were Enugu (N1000), Bauchi/Bayelsa/Zamfara (N1200), and Edo (N1,220).

               
           
               
                   

The average fare paid by air travellers for specified routes single journey was flat month-on-month, according to the report, but increased by 0.07% year-on-year to N30,743.65 in April from N30,743.66 in March.

               
           
               
                   

Nigeria's airspace has been closed since March except for essential services, another measure to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus disease which has infected over 5.8 million people globally.

               
           
               
                   

The states where the highest air fare were paid in April were Jigawa (N35,400), Rivers (N35,000), and FCT (N34,000); while the lowest were in Sokoto (N22,5000), Katsina (N25,000), and Kano (N25,500).

               
           
               
                   

Water way passengers paid an average of N606.59 in April from N563.26 in March, an increase of 7.69% month-on-month and 11.85% year-on-year.

               
           
               
                   

States with the highest fares paid by water way passengers were Delta (N1,975), Bayelsa (N1,900), and Rivers (N1,800); while states with lowest fare were Borno (N130), Gombe (N190) and Abuja (N240).

Source: How transport fares increased across Nigeria in April

- gist culled from pulseng