Commuters in several parts of the country say they are yet to experience the reduction in transportation fares promised by President Bola Tinubu from October 1.

Checks in Kaduna, Oyo, Enugu, Abuja and Lagos showed that fares on several routes remained at previous levels, with commuters and transport operators citing the continued high cost of fuel and the absence of wider government-supported alternatives.

In Enugu, fares from the state capital to Umuahia remained at N6,500 by car and N5,000 by bus, while trips to Owerri cost between N7,000 and N7,500 by car and about N6,000 by bus. Travellers to Onitsha were paying N6,000 by car and N4,500 by bus.

A commercial transport operator, Caleb Obi, said the expected reduction had not materialised because the interventions required to support lower fares were yet to reach operators.

He said operators were still buying petrol at about N1,400 per litre, making it difficult to reduce fares without government support.

In Kaduna, commuters similarly reported no noticeable reduction. A passenger at Sabo Motor Park said the fare from Sabo to Kasuwa remained N700, while another route from Ungwar Romi to Kasuwa cost N500.

A commercial driver, Mallam Nasir Abu, said operators were still purchasing petrol for between N1,450 and N1,500 per litre.

The Kaduna State Government, however, said residents were already benefiting from an existing free public transportation initiative, with about 60 CNG-powered buses operating on designated routes across the metropolis.

In Oyo State, fares also remained unchanged on several routes. Motorcycle transport from the Secretariat to the University of Ibadan remained N500, while tricycles charged N300. Fares from Mokola to Challenge remained between N500 and N600 for motorcycles.

Residents and transport stakeholders said they had not observed any reduction since the October 1 target announced by the Federal Government.

In Abuja, commuters in the Federal Capital Territory and neighbouring areas also reported unchanged fares. Transport costs from Bwari to Berger and Wuse remained around N1,800 after rising in late September, while commuters from Mararaba continued to face fares of about N1,500 during regular periods and higher charges during rush hours.

A Mararaba resident, Elizabeth Tyesi, said she had spent about N10,000 on intercity transportation on October 2 and had not noticed any reduction in fares.

In Lagos, federal mass buses continued to charge N500 between Mile 2 and Oshodi, while yellow buses charged between N700 and N800. The fare from Oshodi to Mile 12 remained N400 on federal mass buses and between N800 and N1,000 on yellow buses. Train fares were also unchanged.

President Tinubu had earlier directed state governments to accelerate implementation of the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme, with the aim of delivering measurable reductions in transportation costs from October 1.

The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles has said reductions have already begun on some routes, citing CNG-supported services in Lagos, Enugu and the Federal Capital Territory. It said additional buses and infrastructure would be deployed to extend the benefits to more commuters.

The President had also cited existing CNG and electric transport schemes in several states as evidence that cheaper transportation was already being achieved on some routes, while urging state governments to sustain and expand the programmes.