RESUMPTION: Sudden Transport Fare Hike Strands Students In Ibadan
•By OYENIYI KAZEEM
IBADAN – HUNDREDS of students returning to their institutions after the Christmas and New Year break were on Monday left stranded at various motor parks across Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, following a sudden and steep increase in transport fares.
The affected students are believed to be from several tertiary institutions, including Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Kwara State University (KWASU), Molete Campus, Ilorin, Saki Polytechnic, and LAUTECH Iseyin Campus, among others.
A Daily Independent reporter who monitored activities across major bus terminals in Ibadan observed students with their luggages roaming the parks helplessly, as many could not afford the newly imposed fares.
Findings revealed that transport fares rose by over 100 per cent across several routes. For instance, the fare for Ibadan–Ogbomosho, which previously ranged between ₦4,000 and ₦4,500, suddenly increased to ₦8,200 by bus, while space buses (cars) rose from ₦5,000 to ₦10,200.
Similarly, Ibadan–Saki fares jumped from ₦3,000–₦3,500 to ₦8,200, while Ibadan–Ilorin fares increased from ₦5,000 to ₦9,200 by bus, with space buses now charging as much as ₦10,200, up from ₦5,500.
Despite the sharp fare increase, drivers still charged separately for luggage, further worsening the plight of the students.
Attempts to obtain explanations from drivers proved futile, as many declined to speak with journalists. Some parents who accompanied their children were seen pleading with drivers, while buses were quickly filled due to the overwhelming number of stranded passengers.
Speaking on her ordeal, Toyin Alaba, a student of Saki Polytechnic, described the situation as unbearable.
“The money is too much. I have been at the terminal since 10 a.m. on Sunday till about 7 p.m. and I could not get a bus to Saki, I have to go back home because of the hike in price. We have a test scheduled for today(Monday), and I don’t even know if I will make it,” she lamented.
Another student, Oluwatobi Peter, also heading to Saki, said he arrived at the park around 6 a.m. but could not secure a bus.
“The drivers kept increasing the price anytime they saw many of us on ground. A bus we normally take for ₦3,000 gradually rose to ₦8,200. It is too much; I cannot afford it,” he said.
A KWASU student, Oyeronke Asake Mubaraqah, narrated how her parents had to intervene.
“If not for the fact that my parents came with me, I would have gone back home. My dad planned to send me ₦10,000 for transport and pocket money, but when we got here, there were no buses going to Ilorin. Later, buses started charging ₦9,200, and my dad eventually paid ₦10,200 for a space bus. Despite that, the driver still collected ₦2,000 for just one luggage. This is not fair,” she said.
As of the time of filing this report, many students remained stranded, with growing calls for government intervention and stricter regulation of transport fares during peak travel periods.