Hundreds of tricycle operators yesterday took to the streets of Kano State, protesting the hike in the pump price of Petrol.
This came as the price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, otherwise known as petrol has been adjusted to as high as N1, 200 across some filling stations, as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, sells for N904 per litre in the state.
The protesting tricycle operators who gathered around the Dangi Bridge in Kano halted free flow of traffic during the duration of the protest that lasted for hours.
Commuters and motorists were stranded as the tricycle operators deserted the road to join long queues while other passengers complained about the price hike.
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.”
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,”
Petrol hits N1, 350 in Jigawa
The situation is not different in Jigawa State as petrol price has been jerked up to N1, 350 in Dutse, Jigawa State.
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.
“I bought the fuel for N1, 150 this morning but my colleague who went to the same filing station in the afternoon told me he got the fuel for N1, 350. That was an increment of N300. It is unfortunate,” Katsina stated.