By Amos Igbebe
Residents and travelers in Delta are currently in for a bad time as the fuel scarcity and the corresponding hike in the price of the available commodity is biting hard on the living condition of the people. The rise in the cost of fuel has also led to increase in the cost of transportation in the state, both intra city and intercity transport.
The effect became pronounced on Sunday when the price shot from N120 to between N200 and N250 per litre in Asaba, the Delta State capital. Many Deltans were woken to a surprise as the cost of boarding keke for church service shot 50 percent beyond the initial cost of transport within the city.
A keke rider who did not give his name, told our correspondent that the high cost of fuel had led to increase in the cost of transport, just as he said that the initial cost of transport had increased by an additional 50 percent in the state capital.
He said “let me take you back to the filling station free and bring you back free for you to check the price and come back to your house. The price of one liter is N200. The place we were carrying for N50 is now N70, some places N80. So, my brother, it’s not our fault”.
Many Deltans were caught unprepared as many were oblivious of the sudden rise in the cost of the premium motor spirit.
Many now prefer trekking to places of work rather than buying the fuel as the price has become unaffordable to them.
Transporters are now also enjoying a field day as they charge whatsoever they deem fit and passengers have no option but to pay if they must move or transact business in the city.
Based on this development, few vehicles are seen plying the road while a few others are crowded in the available filling stations selling the commodity at the exorbitant price.
The filling stations are also loaded with people buying the product with queue as the future of the product seems very uncertain for them.
In some of the filling stations, it was discovered that buyers would pay N2000 but the attendants would fill their vehicle tanks with N1700 fuel.
