Transport fares are putting more pressure on residents of Cross River State as workers, parents and students struggle to cope with rising costs, even as electric buses acquired by the state government are yet to fully begin operations.
The situation is becoming more noticeable in Calabar and surrounding communities, where residents now spend more money to get to work, school, markets and other daily activities.
According to a report by The Guardian published on Tuesday, October 6, transport fares have increased across Calabar South, Calabar Municipality, Akpabuyo, Bakassi and other areas. At Atimbo Road junction, for instance, schoolchildren and parents were reported to be paying as much as ₦800 for some trips, compared with about ₦600 before schools resumed.
For some families, the increase is becoming a serious burden. Eme Bassey, a petty trader and mother of three living in Federal Housing Estate, told The Guardian that transporting her children to school now costs her thousands of naira every day.
The problem is also being felt by students. At the University of Calabar, some students are reportedly paying between ₦800 and ₦1,000 on routes from 8 Miles to the university, with some choosing to trek long distances to reduce the amount they spend on transportation.
Commercial drivers have blamed the increase on the rising cost of petrol and vehicle maintenance. Petrol is reportedly selling for more than ₦1,400 per litre in Calabar, while the cost of spare parts and other running expenses has also gone up.
The development has raised fresh questions about the electric buses acquired by the Governor Bassey Otu administration as part of efforts to reduce transportation costs in the state.
The buses are reportedly still parked at the premises of the state-owned Construction and Fabrication Academy of West Africa along Murtala Mohammed Highway in Calabar, while residents continue to battle high transport fares.
The electric transport programme was introduced by the state government as part of its plan to provide cheaper and cleaner transportation for Cross Riverians. Earlier government projections indicated that fares on some major routes could fall sharply once the electric transport system becomes fully operational.
The Commissioner for Transport, Ekpenyong Cobham, had previously said the state acquired 10 electric inter-city buses, 20 shuttle buses, 500 electric tricycles and 200 electric motorcycles as part of the transport reform programme. He said the initiative was designed to help commuters save hundreds of naira daily.
For example, the commissioner had projected that the popular 8 Miles to Watt Market route, where commuters could pay around ₦600, could eventually fall to between ₦150 and ₦200 when the electric transport system becomes fully operational.
But with fares now moving in the opposite direction, residents are becoming increasingly interested in when the promised relief will actually reach the streets.
Responding to concerns over the delay, Cobham said the government was being careful not to rush the programme into operation in a way that could create problems later.
He explained that the government had moved beyond planning and procurement and was now working towards implementation. He also disclosed that the state had adopted a Public-Private Partnership arrangement for the management of the electric buses and was at the stage of signing an agreement with the preferred bidder.
The delay comes at a time when the Federal Government is also pushing states to make transportation cheaper through the use of CNG and electric vehicles. President Bola Tinubu had directed that Nigerians should begin to see measurable reductions in transportation costs from October 1, 2026.
For many Cross Riverians, however, the most important question is no longer about plans or promises but when they will actually begin to pay less to move around.
As transport costs continue to affect household income, school attendance and the daily movement of workers and traders, residents are looking towards the state government's electric buses to move from being vehicles parked at a government facility to buses actually carrying passengers on Cross River roads.
Until that happens, many commuters may continue to face the same difficult choice every morning: pay the higher fare or trek.
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