Six months after the closure of schools due to the pandemic, cab and bus drivers suddenly increase transport fare without a tangible reason.
Some of the students who spoke with Press Club MAPOLY expressed their grievances.
Bamidele Ganiyu, an HND2 student of Mass communication bemoaned the hike in transport fare.
Ganiyu said that the increase in transport fare is a mode of extortion of the students by the bus and can drivers.
He added that the hike has made things hard for most students as they didn’t prepare for an increase in transport fare upon resumption.
He said “It is worrisome because it’s a kind of extortion and no student is prepared for it especially at this trying time.
” I don’t think there is any solution as their excuse was fuel price hike which has made prices of everything in the market skyrocket even in school premises and the absence of SUG says NO to the control.
“The last few months have been so hard that a lot of students came back to school without enough cash and as such didn’t prepare for increment in cab or shuttle prices.”
Jamiu Akinrinde, a Computer Science Student also lamented saying the hike in transport fare is a disruption of students’ plans on campus.
Jamiu urged the Students Representative Council(SRC) to intervene in the matter by bringing in more buses and cabs to ply the institution.
“It is not convenient for us at all. It looks like the cab and shuttle drivers are taking actions by themselves as if nobody is watching over them.
“Inflating the price is a total defect to our plans and life on campus. We all know what’s going on in the nation and now we have a lesser number of vehicles on the campus, so increasing the transport fare will only condemn us to waiting for the school shuttle or trek to the school gate to board public transport.
“The SUG should try and bring in more motorist to the school, when there’s competition we are bound to have a lesser price of transport.”He said.
Similarly, an ND1 Mass Communication Student, Olaide Hunsa said ” Am not comfortable with the price in the sense that when students are not much we pay more than expected.”
Also, Toheebat Oladehinde, an ND1, student of Hospitality Management expressed her displeasure towards the increase in transport fare.
Toheebat however stated the hike in price might be due to the bad road and the fuel price which has also changed.
“Am not happy about the increment of transportation by motorist because not all student plan to pay more, the roads are bad and fuel price has change which likely may be the reason.”
Corroborating Toheebat, a Business Administration student, Eunice Peter also attributed the transport fare hike to the bad road linking the institution.
“The price of cab is not stable, sometimes we pay N70 while coming on campus, N50 while going off-campus.
” What I think could be the solution is the road should be worked on and with that motorist will be free to drive without stress and they will have no choice than to bring down the price.”
Speaking with PCM, the Committee Chairman for MAPOLY transportation, Hon. Kazeem Abolade noted the committee is aware of the hike in the transport fare.
Kazeem explained that the committee in resolving the issue met with the Chairman of MAPOLY shuttle drivers, Mr. Adesanya, to table the issue.
He noted the hike was due to the increase in the petrol price.
“We are aware of the change in transportation tariff and complaints from students, and as representative of the students, we care about their welfare. necessary actions have been taken by the committee.
” The drivers had planned to increase the price from N40 to N70 but I plead with them to make it N50 and the increment was due to the change in the petrol price.”
He emphasized that the chairman of the cab drivers will be contacted to know the states of their price and what to do to reduce the price from what they charge students currently.
Kazeem also noted that the scarcity of shuttle on campus is been worked on by the committee in charge.