Multitudes comprising students and staff of the Rivers State University (RSU) had to trek for long distances to get to their various faculties and offices as a result of the commercial shuttle bus drivers shutting down operations.

Some of the drivers, who spoke to Kristina Reports, blamed the shutdown of their operations to the astronomical rise in the cost of petrol added to its scarcity in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, stressing that the situation was no longer favourable to them as they make little or no profit daily.

One of the drivers, who preferred to be anonymous, said they need to go back to charging N100 per student, so that they can make profit.

“Normally, we buy fuel for N280 but yesterday they added N10 making it N290 in this school fueling station.”

“So, my sister before you will run out the money, maybe if you buy N1,500, highest is N2,000, N2,500, then you have to give account for maybe the motor you are driving for somebody, you’ll account for the motor, you will also have something to take home too.”

“But now, the reverse is the case, before you will see something to take home, you have to stress yourself more than the hour you use to do work. Now, we have made a conclusion that we are shutting down today.”

“As you can see, we have already shut down until we go back to N100, there is nowhere in this state that they are driving N50, even Uniport campus, it’s the same thing, anywhere you drop in Port Harcourt, it’s N100, so that’s the point.”

Another driver, who preferred to be addressed only as Mark, said the transporters should increase the price to N100, asserting that those who can pay will pay, those who cannot, should leave, lamenting that “we are suffering, it’s not our fault”.

The usual price amidst the scarcity was N50 per passenger, before it was increased to N100 due to the hike in fuel price.

Reacting to the situation, some students who spoke to Kristina Reports, said they are not happy with the situation of things in the country which has also affected them.

A student, who preferred to be addressed with his first name, Dike, said, “you can see how this is affecting us now, it starts from the top, I don’t blame these drivers at all, it’s not their fault, as a matter of fact they have tried to maintain the status quo of the student community, government should do something about this as soon as possible”.

Luciana Mirian said, “I don’t like this, they should increase the price to the N100 and let us have peace, they cannot wake up this morning and tell us they are shutting down, what if I have a disability and can’t trekking, this school is already stressing me, they should not add to it, it won’t be nice”.