Transporters set to Increase Fares By 70% to Improve Efficiency

Some private inter-state transporters have said that fares might be increased by as much as 70%, in order to improve operational efficiency and meet up with the technological demands of doing business in the road transport sector. Especially if the current downward economic trend continues.

According to them, this would help monitor the activities of their drivers and subsequently reduce fatalities in road accidents.

The World Health Organization (WHO), has estimated that over 1.3 Million people are killed annually in road accidents in Nigeria.

Meanwhile records from the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), show that just one of all the road transport companies operating in the country, have been responsible for 11 accidents and 37 deaths between January and June of 2016.

Speaking with the sector’s Transport Standardization Officer, FRSC, Lagos said “Most times it is our attitude on the roads and largely impatience. The typical Nigerian driver is not ready to wait at any point in time”

However, Operations Manager, Cross Country Motors Mattias Makanjuola, in defence of the drivers says, “drivers will always be drivers anywhere anytime. What they need is encouragement.

“If you encourage your drivers and you give them training, they will perform. But in a situation whereby a driver is not having enough fund to maintain himself and his family, on the steering he will be thinking”

General Running And Efficiency Of The Sector

Director of Finance- God is Good Motors, Joseph Osanipin, points out that there is also the issue of vehicle availability and vehicle utilization. He says, “Make the vehicles available by using technology

“Know where the vehicles are moving to, know where the customers are moving from, then you can merge both and there will be efficiency in terms of operation”

A senior lecturer in the Lagos Business School, Henrietta Onwuegbuzie, says people, goods and services need to be transported to markets after being produced. Hence, she opines that if the transportation sector is faulty then the economy is automatically crippled and if it works well, the economy will easily accelerate.