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A large group of tricycle operators gathered in Kano State yesterday to express their discontent with the government’s decision to raise petrol prices. The demonstration highlighted the challenges they face in adapting to the new prices.
The protest comes as petrol prices have skyrocketed to as much as N1,200 per litre at some filling stations, while the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is selling it for N904 per litre in the state. This significant price disparity has sparked concerns among tricycle operators.
For hours, the Dangi Bridge in Kano was the epicenter of a tricycle operators’ protest, which effectively blocked the free flow of traffic. The prolonged disruption highlighted the operators’ determination to have their voices heard.
The desertion of tricycle operators from their routes led to a transportation crisis, with commuters and motorists facing extended delays and queues. The situation was worsened by passengers’ anger and disappointment over the petrol price hike, which added to the protest’s momentum.
Speaking, an operator, Abdulazeez Ibrahim, said, “I can recall when I used to buy petrol for N95. One day during the late President Shehu Musa Yar’adua regime, we went to buy fuel and they halted the process.
“We all thought it was going to be increased but they adjusted the litre to N65. It was something that I would never forget in my life. When things go up, they never come down in Nigeria and since then it has been like that.
“Where are we heading to in this country? How do we survive now? It is very unfortunate that we are witnessing this in this country.”
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A passenger, Ramatu Aminu was seen lamenting, saying “I usually board tricycle from Gyadi-Gyadi to Hotoro junction between N150 and N200 before but today the tricycle charged me N300. The price is high and the tricycle operator attributed it to the petrol hike. Infact, a lot of passengers were stranded on the road as there were no tricycles plying the road,”
Jigawa State is not immune to the fuel price increases, with Dutse seeing prices soar to N1,350. This substantial hike is expected to have a ripple effect on the local economy and residents’ livelihoods.
A motorist in Dutse, Aliyu Katsina said he had earlier bought the fuel at N1, 150 per litre only to be told the price has increased to N1, 350.
Katsina shared that he had secured fuel for N1,150 that morning, only to learn from a colleague who frequented the same station in the afternoon that the price had risen by N300, now standing at N1,350, a circumstance Katsina found troubling.
