Fuel Scarcity: Taxi Owners Withdraw Services in Kwara
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin.
Taxi owners and drivers in Kwara state withdrew their services from major roads of Ilorin and other adjoining towns and villages on Wednesday over the ongoing fuel scarcity facing all the states of the federation.
The development, according to THISDAY checks, was due to the increase of the prices of petrol sold to them at both the federal government-owned Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) mega stations and Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria(IPMAN) filling stations in the state.
Following the withdrawal of services by transporters, most of the workers in both state and public services and residents of the state who came out early enough to join taxis to their different places of duties were disappointed due to the non availability of taxi on the roads to convey them.
The development however led the people to make use of Okada riders who also charged higher prices depending the areas such person was going to in the state.
It was gathered that, petrol was being sold between N190 per liter and N200 per liter in most of the fuel stations in the state.
Sources told our correspondent that, the situation has prompted many taxi drivers from getting the fuel at the approved price of N86 per liter while taxi fare still remains N50 per drop in the state.
A visit of our correspondent to some of the taxi parks in Ilorin metropolis yesterday revealed that, the taxi drivers have parked their taxis and rolled up their door glasses for fear of being open to any attacks from any quarter.
However, some of the taxi drivers and owners who spoke on condition of anonymity told our correspondent yesterday that, “we cannot bear with the situation of higher increase in the purchasing of petrol in the state again”.
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