THE latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that the average transport fare for bus journey within cities in the country increased by 12.70 percent, month-on-month, in August 2020.
The NBS Transport Fare Watch report for August 2020, which was released on September 16, 2020, and posted on the Bureau’s website, covered categories such as bus journey within the city per drop constant route; bus journey inter-city, state route, charge per person and airfare charge for specified routes single journey.
It also covered the journey by motorcycle (okada) per drop and water-way passenger transport.
According to the executive summary of the report, the average fare paid by commuters for bus journey within the city increased by 12.70 percent, month-on-month, and by 48.02 percent, year-on-year, to N278.88 in August 2020 from N247.46 in July 2020.
The NBS further reported that, in the period under review, states with the highest bus journey fare within the city were Zamfara (N550.10), Cross River (N400.00), and Ekiti (N386.67).
On the other hand, states with the lowest bus journey fare within the city were Bauchi (N162.41), Kebbi (N180.18), and Rivers (N182.40).
Also, according to the NBS report, average fare paid by commuters for bus journey inter-city increased by 8.69 percent month-on-month and by 26.98 percent year-on-year to N2,063.12 in August 2020 from N1,898.14 in July 2020.
States that recorded the highest bus journey fare inter-city were Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, (N4,234.00), Sokoto (N2,953.27) and Lagos (N2,943.27) while States with lowest bus journey fare within city were Bayelsa (N1,300.00), Bauchi (N1,321.50) and Edo (N1,435.21).
Also, average fare paid by air passengers for specified routes single journey increased by 5.60 percent month-on-month and by 26.56 per cent year-on-year to N38,659.86 in August 2020 from N36,611.22 in July 2020.
NBS data shows that states with highest air fare were Abuja FCT (N43,000.00), Lagos (N40,600.00), Borno (N40,000.00) while States with the lowest airfare were Ekiti (N37,450.00), Akwa Ibom/Edo (N37,500.00), and Nasarawa (N37,600.00).
The NBS also reported an increase in the fare paid by commuters for the journey by motorcycle.
Transport fare for journey by motorcycle per drop increased by 14.37 percent month-on-month and by 63.48 percent year-on-year to N197.23 in August 2020 from N172.46 in July 2020.
States with the highest journey fare by motorcycle per drop were Kogi (N300.54), Rivers (N300.48), and Lagos (N300.00).
On the other hand, states with the lowest journey fare by motorcycle per drop were Adamawa (N80.24), Katsina (N97.40), and Kebbi (N100.25).
In the same vein, the average fare paid by passengers for water-way passenger transport increased by 5.79 percent month-on-month and by 24.33 percent year-on-year to N685.82 in August 2020 from N648.26 in July 2020.
States with highest fare by water-way passenger transport in the period under review are Rivers (N2,005.61), Delta (N2,000.00), and Bayelsa (N1,980.60) while states with the lowest fare by water-way passenger transport were Borno (N194.95), Gombe (N200.00), and Abuja FCT (N268.47).
The NBS explained that fieldwork for the report was carried out by over 700 staff in all states of the federation, supported by supervisors who were monitored by internal and external observers.
Prices were collected across all the 774 local governments across all states and the FCT from over 10,000 respondents and locations, according to the Bureau.