The transport situation in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, worsened on Sunday following the scarcity of petrol, which forced commercial and private vehicles off the road.
It was observed that the few filling stations that were selling fuel witnessed long queues of vehicles.
The scarcity had also forced fuel prices to jump to a little below N1,000 per litre from the N750 per litre sold in some filling stations on Friday when the scarcity started.
Some of the filing stations that were selling fuel included Shafa at Geri Alimi, Rainoil, and Amorry on Asa Dam Road, NIPCO at Sawmill, and MKJ at Murtala Mohammed Road among others.
As a result, few vehicles were plying the road while many commuters were stranded at bus terminals.
Commercial vehicles have also increased transport fares by 100 per cent.
Transport fares ranged between N300 and N500 for a ride on a tricycle while mini buses charged between N200 and N400 per trip for the same distance in the metropolis.
The cost of the interstate trip had also increased by about 150 percent with a trip from Ilorin to Offa, which now jumped to N2,500 from the previous fare of N1,200 while the Ilorin to Ogbomoso fare is N1,500 per passenger.
A woman who identified herself as Alhaja Halirat Aribidesi said that the transport situation was becoming difficult and worse than that of Saturday and appealed to the government to find a solution to the shortage of fuel in the country.
Aribidesi said that transportation from her home at the airport area to her shop in Mandate Market costs between N2,000 and N2,500 daily.
“The government should find a solution to the problem of scarcity of fuel and the rising cost of the Dollar to allow stable prices for goods in the market”, she appealed
