Jos motorists groan as petrol price jumps to N1,300 per litre

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By Golok Nanmwa, JOS

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The pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, has surged to N1,300 per litre in Jos, the Plateau State capital, inflicting fresh hardship on motorists, commuters, and residents already reeling from persistent economic pressures.

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A Vanguard survey conducted across major filling stations in Jos metropolis on Tuesday morning revealed that several private outlets are now dispensing the product at between N1,350 and N1,300 per litre, with many prominent stations firmly pegged at the upper limit of N1,350.

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Our correspondent who visited the Mobil fuel station at Farin Gada, close to the Jos North local government, observed that the price of the product was 1,300 per litre.

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James Bitrus, a taxi driver, also confirmed to our correspondent that he bought the product for 1350 at a fuel station in Bukuru.

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He said, “This is not good for us. Just two weeks ago we were buying fuel for 800 naira; just in the span of three days, the price has increased to 1350.”

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Meanwhile, commercial transport operators in Jos have hiked fares by as much as 50 per cent on many routes, with commuters now paying N300 for trips previously charged at N200.

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Tricycle (Keke Napep) riders have followed suit, citing the fuel cost hike as the primary driver.

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A commercial driver, who identified himself as Ado Ibrahim, told Vanguard: “We were somehow managing when it was around N1,000 or N1,100, but now at N1,350, it’s unbearable.

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Transport fares have shot up; foodstuffs are more expensive because of higher delivery costs.

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Mrs Laraba Amos, a market trader in Jos, said, “This fuel increase is destroying small businesses. ‘I now make fewer trips to the market because transport is too costly. Everything is going up, and we don’t see an end in sight,’ she lamented.

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