Boat operators lament the high cost of gasoline and may raise rates

Boat operators under the auspices of the Waterfront Boat Owners and Transporters Association of Nigeria (WABOTAN) have complained about the rising cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), colloquially referred to as petrol, and warn that some of their members are already considering abandoning water transport. rate to be increased to absorb the effect of the high cost of petrol.

Speaking exclusively to the Nigerian Tribune, WABOTAN President Comrade Tope Fajemirokun lamented that many boat operators are struggling to get fuel to power their boats for business activities.

Comrade Fajemirokun said, “The price of petrol is corrosive to some of us these days. Many of us buy fuel through our nose. The amount of fuel we buy today is out of proportion to the amount we earn on our daily journeys.

“Some of our members have raised the issue of increasing rates for water transport, but it doesn’t work that way. Many people already have a phobia of water transport. Many people run away from water transportation and would rather spend hours on the road in traffic than take a boat ride to their destination. So if we raise rates, aren’t we scaring away the few who still patronize us?

“Fearing not to scare away the few passengers who still visit our businesses, it has been difficult for us to raise waterborne fares simply because of the amount of gasoline we now buy.

“The cost of running ferries has suddenly risen astronomically due to the increasing amount of petrol we buy. Ferries run on petrol and so most of us have been losing money lately because of the high price of petrol.

“We hope that changes soon because we cannot continue to buy petrol at exorbitant rates while not making that money back on the ferry service. If you buy petrol today for N350 per litre, by the time you use it up and want to buy another you will be shocked that the price would have risen to N400 per litre. How can ferry companies break even if we cannot increase transport costs like the commercial bus companies for fear of losing our customers? We absolutely cannot continue like this and something has to change.”

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