As fuel scarcity bites harder in Kaduna State with long and chaotic queues at filling stations, residents are groaning, resulting in astronomical increase in transport fares.

The product, which is being sold at some few filling stations, costs between N760, N880, and N950 per litre, depending on where the filling station got its supply.

For instance, at Omosco filling station, located along Yakowa Way, Kaduna, petrol sells for N950, while at Rain Oil, located at Refinery junction, Kaduna and Mobil filling station located along Wharf Road Kaduna it goes for N880 and N760 per litre respectively.

Several of the NNPC mega stations, located along Marraban Rido after Indomie factory, Barnawa near Living Faith Church and Ali Akilu Way, among others, have not been selling fuel for the past three days.

It is alleged that in some NNPC mega stations, where fuel is sold, attendants and their managers often prefer to sell to road side retailers in jerry cans than to motorists as they collect between N1,000 to N5,000 bribe, depending on the number of jerry cans.

Some major marketers are alleged to be behind the current scarcity.

Unconfirmed sources say that two of the marketers in the north are responsible for scarcity.

One is alleged to have 500 trucks of fuel, but is hoarding the product and selling a small quantity, mostly to black marketers.

The scarcity has further thrown residents into severe hardship as cost of transport has gone up again.

For instance, transport fare from places like Sabon Tasha, Gonin-Gora, Narayi and Kakuri among other areas within the metropolis, which used to be between N250 to N300 to the Central Market (the city centre where most businesses are located), now costs between N400 to N500. (THISDAY)

Update news