As most public servants resume work in Abuja, there was reduction in the number of long commercial buses (popularly known as Subsidy or El-Rufai) to convey workers as well as traders from their places of residence to their various places of work.
At about 09:00am yesterday, several people were sighted standing at the Airport junction in Jabi waiting to board the long buses.
Since the introduction of the long buses by the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCTA, commuters especially public servants do prefer to board it to offices.
Emma Enendu, who was among those at the junction told Nigeria Pilot that the “subsidy buses charges N50 to secretariat”, adding that it is far cheaper than taxis.
Emma though not a civil servant, said he often go to the secretariat for official assignment.
Investigation by Nigerian Pilot showed that this could be linked to the fact that some of the bus operators are yet to come back from their travel to celebrate the Christmas and New Year.
However, with low number of these buses in operation, most of the stranded commuters resorted to taxis to get to their destinations.
“There is no other vehicle that will take you to the Central Area if not the big buses or you enter taxi,” said Mrs. Halima Abubakar, who after waiting for some times at the junction decided to enter a taxi.
The cost of boarding cab from the junction or its environs to the Central Business District, CBD ranges between N350 to N450 depending on negotiating power of the passenger and perhaps the location.
Similarly, the limited number of these buses also led to mass rush at the Berger junction yesterday where those living in Kubwa stay to board buses home.
Though some Abuja residents are yet to come back from the Christmas and New Year break, surprisingly the numbers of people already in the city outreach the available buses. Nevertheless, the case is different for those going to Nyanya for there were quite a reasonable number of these buses waiting to convey them.
Cab drivers were seen picking passengers to Kubwa from the Berger junction, an act which is usually rare when the big buses are at surplus.
Some of them charged commuters N150 while few insisted on N200. Cabs carry 5 passengers. Private car owners were also sighted taking advantage of the situation. Some stopped by to pick up passengers at similar prices.
By Obi Jeremiah