Transport fares increase in Kano as residents travel for election

There is heavy exodus of people mainly from the Eastern and South South part of Nigeria out of Kano, leading to a hike in the transport fares of luxurious buses from N3500 to N7500 and N4000 to N10, 000.

At one of the luxury bus stations at New Road, PREMIUM TIMES observed on Thursday that in less than five hours over 10 to 15 buses left the state with hundreds of passengers who feared for their safety in the aftermath of Saturday’s presidential election.

Sonny Philips, a staff at one of the bus stations said he had never seen so many leaving Kano at once in all his years working at the station.

He also noted that the situation was so desperate that even “attachment” on the buses – people who sit or stand in the aisles – paid N7, 000 instead of the usual N1500.

Mr. Philips said in spite of this, there were still passengers waiting for the now scarce buses, adding that before Friday they plan to hire more buses.