Abuja residents have lamented the increase in transport fares as fuel stations hiked the pump prices of petrol following the official price hike.

In separate interviews on Thursday in Gwagwalada, some residents called on the government to reconsider the subsidy removal in the interest of the masses as long queues resurfaced across petrol stations in the capital territory.

According to them, the high cost of transportation fares will affect the prices of goods and services in the markets, affecting ordinary Nigerians’ purchasing power.

Abraham Gado, a resident of Gwagwalada, stated that transportation fare to Area 1 from Gwagwalada, previously N400, now is N1,000.

He said that following the announcement, many filling station owners locked up their stations in some areas. The ones open for business sold fuel between N537 and N600.

“The oil marketers are also not fair to Nigerians; barely hours of the subsidy removal’s announcement, they just jerked up prices of petrol without exhausting the old stuck,” said Mr Gado. “I plead with the government to please rescind this decision and reverse to the old price to cushion the hardship that has started.”

Juliet Lewis, a resident of the Abaji area council, said the average Nigerian would be seriously affected ”because, once the price of petrol increases, the prices of everything will go up in the markets.”

She explained that farmers in remote areas with difficult terrains would subsequently increase the prices of their farm produce.

“I am joining millions of Nigerians to call on the new government to have a rethink on the fuel subsidy removal,” Ms Lewis said.

A Kuje area council resident, Salisu Sabo, said he could not believe that transport fares would skyrocket suddenly.

He said the new policy caught him unawares and had made it difficult for him to attend some programmes aside from his official duties.

“I paid N500 to get to Lugbe this morning as against the previous fare of N200. This time around, one has to plan well and manage the little money he or she has to avoid embarrassment,” Mr Sabo said.

Johnson Anibe, a civil servant, said he paid N900 to get to his office in the morning as against N300, adding that on his way home, he would pay more because of the rush hour.

(NAN)