Less than 24 hours to the Christmas celebrations, the price of petrol in Nsukka, Enugu State, has gone up by 8.3 per cent.
A market survey by the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in the area showed that independent marketers now sell a litre of petrol for between N100 and N105 as against the N97 official price.
Major marketers, however, sell at the official rate.
In spite of the increase, transport fares have remained stable.
Felix Onah, a commercial bus driver, who plies Old Park to Barracks, expressed surprise at the sudden increase in the pump price of petrol.
Onah said: “On Monday I know I bought petrol at N97, but I am surprised to see filling stations selling a litre of petrol between N100 and N105 this morning.
“May be they want to get money to celebrate Christmas as everybody see this period as season.
“I will not increase my fare to avoid losing my passengers.”
One of the operators, who pleaded anonymity, said the increase was to enable them to meet up with some expenses of the season.
He said: “You know prices of things have gone up because of Christmas, petrol will not be an exception.
“We will also celebrate for our family members and relations.
“We will return to normal price as soon as Christmas is over.”
Meanwhile commuters in Nsukka have commended transporters for not increasing their fares during the season.
Hendry Njemanze, a passenger travelling from Nsukka to Owerri, Imo State, said he paid the usual fare of N900.
Njemanze said: “I commend transporters in Nsukka for maintaining the usual fare to Owerri, Enugu, Awka, Onitsha and other routes.
“I want them to keep it up.
“It shows they understand the real meaning of Christmas, which is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.”
Also speaking, a manager at Peace Mass Transit, Edwin Mbah, said that more passengers were returning to Nsukka than those travelling out.
Mbah said: “We will have more passengers from here by January when those that travelled will be returning to their stations.
“Some of our buses to Onitsha and Enugu move with half passengers to enable them to convey more passengers back.
“We did not make any fare increase so that our customer’s can travel without complaint.”
Meanwhile, human and vehicular traffic has increased in Nsukka following the influx of people returning home to celebrate Christmas with their loved ones.
Major roads like Enugu Road, Ogurugu Road, Odenigbo Road and University Market Road are experiencing heavy vehicular traffic.
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