Olanshile Ogunrinu
Following the news of the increase in intra-campus transport fares by the Intra Campus Transport Committee (ICTC), students of the University of Ibadan have taken to social media to express displeasure over the increase.
The increase, which now sees fares to locations like Queen Elizabeth II Hall, Bookshop, SUB, Tedder Hall and likes to rise to 100 naira as against the previous 50 naira. The increase also contained a rise in fare for “drop” from 150 naira to 400 naira for tricycles and 500 naira for cabs. Other locations on campus also witnessed a significant rise in fares.
The development has, however, stirred several reactions from students as they take to social media especially WhatsApp to express their their displeasure.
“Increase in everything left and right, are you sure this session is not fashioned to end my academic pursuit like this, abi how will someone cope with all this increase,” lamented a student.
“Time for trekking, many to start missing lectures and all now because we go too dey trek, they should let us breathe with all these increases now,” another student posted on WhatsApp.
Speaking to UCJUI, Lolade, a 200-level of the Faculty of Agriculture condemned the increase, stating that everything is already tough in the country and the university environment should provide protection for the students in some certain form.
“It makes absolutely no sense, We are still grappling with making sense out of the proposed school fees and accommodation increase and now they bring this when they should be making efforts to ease the pains of the harsh economy on students,”
“We know the removal of subsidy has led to an increase in the price of Petrol and all but they have to review this again without looking at one side, students have to be carried along to reflect an adjustment we can all afford,” he said.
In his opinion, Faith, a student of the Department of History said that even though the increment was expected, some of the fares are not justifiable.
“Well, as much as the increment is needed because of the humane considerations of the drivers, some increments are not justified. Why should the Awo axis be #150? It could have been better if the school’s main gate to all HORs was #100 and the likes of Ajibode, Sasa, and DLC were reduced to #200,”
“In a nutshell, I think the review is needed considering the market of PMS but not everything on that list is justifiable”.
