Commercial minibus operators in Osogbo, Osun State, popularly known as Korope, have called for urgent intervention over the rising cost of petrol, saying the absence of Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, refuelling stations in the state is worsening the financial pressure on their businesses.
The drivers made the demand on Wednesday during a peaceful protest at Ayetoro in Osogbo, where they temporarily withdrew their vehicles from the roads to draw attention to the increasing cost of running commercial transport services.
The operators said the combination of high petrol prices, expensive spare parts and rising household expenses had significantly reduced their daily earnings and made the business increasingly difficult to sustain.
One of the protesters, Adewumi Adeleke, said some commercial drivers were spending as much as ₦40,000 on petrol daily, leaving them with very little income after settling other operational expenses.
“How could you be running this business, spending about ₦40,000 on fuel a day, and when you get home, all you see is just ₦5,000 or ₦3,000? Spare parts and everything are too costly, so we are not comfortable with the situation,” Adeleke said.
He urged the Federal Government and the Osun State Government to accelerate the provision of CNG facilities in Osogbo, arguing that access to cheaper alternative fuel could reduce the financial burden on commercial vehicle operators.
According to Adeleke, many minibus operators were prepared to convert their vehicles from petrol to CNG but required government assistance to make the conversion process affordable and accessible.
He said the protest was intended to draw attention to the challenges facing transport operators, adding that failure to address their concerns could lead to a prolonged withdrawal of services.
Another driver, Prince Olakunle Ojo, said the increasing price of petrol had made it difficult for drivers to generate meaningful income after paying for fuel and other daily expenses.
Ojo explained that a driver could spend about ₦15,000 on petrol and still record only about ₦13,000 in earnings at the end of the day, making it difficult to provide for personal needs or maintain the vehicle.
“By the time you buy fuel worth ₦15,000 in the morning and, at the end of the day, you are able to make ₦13,000, the fuel money is not there, your food money is not there, and you cannot take care of the vehicle,” he said.
He also raised concerns about the limited availability of CNG infrastructure in Osun State, saying drivers who had converted their vehicles were struggling to access the alternative fuel locally.
“There is no single station in Osun State. Many people who have CNG in their vehicles are just keeping it there because Osun State does not have any station we can point to and say this is where you can get CNG,” Ojo said.
The operators also called for a review of transport fares to reflect the current cost of petrol, vehicle maintenance, spare parts and other expenses associated with commercial transportation.
Another driver, Ariyo Idowu, said operators were finding it increasingly difficult to continue working under the prevailing economic conditions, citing the rising cost of maintaining vehicles and meeting family responsibilities.
Idowu appealed for the provision and improvement of designated bus stops across Osogbo, saying proper transport infrastructure would help organise commercial operations and improve the movement of passengers within the city.
The drivers warned that they could embark on a week-long strike if their concerns were not addressed, while appealing to the government and transport unions to engage them in dialogue.
DAILY POST reports that the protest highlights ongoing concerns among transport operators over the effect of fuel prices on public transportation and the wider cost of living.
Osun minibus operators protest high fuel price, demand CNG stations