By Abiola Olawale
The scarcity of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as fuel has begun to ground economic activities across the country as many citizens are not able to access one of the most sought-after commodities.
The New Diplomat reports that long queues and crowded bus stops have returned to Lagos State and as well most states in the country following the fuel scarcity.
It was gathered that many transport workers have reportedly begun to increase fares over the unavailability of fuel.
In Lagos State, the availability of tricycles and buses, which are vital for daily commutes, has been significantly impacted by long queues at filling stations. As a result of the limited transportation options, many commuters are experiencing difficulties getting around.
Some public transport workers who spoke with the members of the press said most filling stations are locked under the guise that they lack product to dispense, while black marketers are reportedly selling a liter of petrol between N900 and N1,200 across the metropolis.
It would be recalled that the long queues had been building up at the filling station since last week, despite assurances from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) that the logistics issue had been resolved.
While addressing the issue of fuel scarcity last week, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) said that the shortage of petrol in the federal capital territory is due to a logistics hitch impacting the supply of petroleum products across the country, adding that the issue had already been resolved.
However, fuel scarcity has worsened as motorists have been seen spending the night at fuel stations and commuters are left stranded at bus stops due to limited buses and hike in transportation fares.
