Yuletide: Stranded Borno travellers lament vehicle scarcity amid transport hike
Some travellers leaving Borno State to the North Central and Southern parts of Nigeria have expressed frustration over insufficient vehicles to convey them from various parks across Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
The travellers who shared their frustration with PUNCH Online on Saturday, in Maiduguri claimed that the cost of air tickets has increased, and are only left with the option of boarding trucks to locations where they can easily find vehicles going to their states.
One of the travellers, Olaitan Abey, told our correspondent that he had been in the park for more than 4 hours without seeing a bus.
“I came to Borno Express today around six this morning, with the hope of leaving around 8:am. Shockingly, I met a lot of people. Most of the people that have gone came to book since yesterday.
“Myself and a few of us have agreed to follow any truck going towards Yobe, if before 11: 30, there is still no car, at least, from Yobe, it may likely be easy to go to Abuja.”
“We have paid and purchased our tickets, but there is no bus. Some have left, but those on the ground are far more than those who have gone. We are just been hopeful that we will leave here today”, Blessing Jeremiah, a traveller from Borno Park explained.
She however noted that they have been instructed by the park’s officials to wait for the vehicles coming from Abuja.
“They said we should wait, that those coming from Abuja will come and carry us. The pain now is that we automatically will get to Abuja late at night today.”
Meanwhile, another traveller from Tashan-Kano Park, John Nda, said his decision to use the park was due to the increased cost of air flights.
“During the week, I heard that from Maiduguri to Abuja now costs 195,000 nairas, so I made up my mind to use this park, at least, it will save me a lot If I don’t spend more than 30,000 Naira from here to Abuja, but as it stands, the frustration is getting much. I was here yesterday, though I came late, I had to go back home, then come back very early this morning. To my surprise, all the available cars have been paid for”, she explained.
She however added that the situation is not peculiar to Tashan Kano Park alone.
“I would have left here and gone now, but it is the same thing everywhere, Borno express is the worst, you know that they charge much less, I think N14,000 to Abuja, so the population there is too much.”
“As of yesterday, it was me and my two friends, they are guys though. There is this long vehicle that does bring stuff to our area in Wulari, they followed the truck this morning to Bauchi. They are heading to Kogi”, she narrated.
A park official in Borno Express who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter told PUNCH Online that the scarcity of buses in the park is a result of the current lack of provision for free luxury buses.
“If we have the usual free luxury buses, it will of course manage the population, so we still anticipate that the government will introduce the initiative”, the anonymous source said.
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