There are indications that several Port Harcourt, Rivers State are unable to travel away from home or receive their loved ones from other states for the Easter holiday, due to the hike in transportation fares.
Channels Television on Saturday visited a car park at the busy Waterlines Junction on Aba Road, which is usually a beehive of activities on the eve of Easter Sunday.
However, the park stood in stark contrast to the typical flurry of activity during festive seasons like Easter.
A cross section of passengers and drivers indicated a lack of interest in travelling which they linked to the cost of transportation caused by the recent petrol and naira scarcity.
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For instance, the fare from Port Harcourt to Afikpo in Ebony State, a less than five hours drive was recently increased from N3,500 to N6,500, a 85.7 percent increment. Port Harcourt to Enugu is also N6,500 as against the recent fare of N4,000.
Only those who could not help staying home, it would seem, were the ones embarking on road trips.
For some travellers, the only positive development is that naira notes can more easily be accessed after a period of total scarcity.
While some of the travellers expect an improvement in the circulation of the currency, others expect government assistance in regulating the fare.
