The National Bureau of Statistics has reported that within a year, the average fare paid by air travelers for specific routes for a single trip grew by 34.06 percent.
This was revealed in the Transport Fare Watch Report for May 2023, which the NBS released on Tuesday in Abuja.
The NBS reported that the fare grew annually from N55,906.86 in May 2022 to N74,948.78 in May 2023.
Experts however blamed the high costs of tickets and transportation in general on currency shortages and shifting aviation fuel prices on the high cost of tickets and transportation in general.
The NBS also reported that the average fare paid by air travelers for a single journey on the identified routes grew by 0.002% month over month from N74,947.30 in April 2023 to N74,948.78 in May 2023.
According to the data, the average fare that commuters pay for bus trips within the city grew by 0.23 percent in May, from N648.12 to N649.59.
The report also revealed that the average fare increased annually by 11.66% from the N581.79 recorded during the same quarter in May 2022.
In a different category, the NBS reported that in May, commuters spent an average of N4,002.16 for each intercity bus drop. According to the study, this is an increase of 0.19 percent month over month from the N3,994.51 reported in April.
The NBS report also revealed that the bus fare increased by 9.09% from N3,668.64 in May of the previous year on an annual basis.
The survey also stated that the average motorcycle transportation fare paid in May was N464.55, an increase of 0.49 percent above the rate reported in April (N462.29).
According to the report, the average fare for water transportation in May was N1,045.15, up 1.39 percent from N1,030.83 in April.
Additionally, the rate jumped 10.99% year over year from N941.63 in May of last year.
The National Bureau of Statistics reported that Taraba State had the highest bus fare within the city (per drop, normal route) in May, with N870.00, followed by Bauchi, with N810.04, and Borno, with N510.14.
According to the survey, the highest fare for intercity bus travel (state route charged per person fare) was recorded in Abuja at N6,205.10, followed by Adamawa at N5,725.14, while the lowest fare was reported in Kwara State at N2,000.00.
Kebbi State, however, had the highest air transport fare in May with N80,000, Bayelsa with N79,050, and Abia recorded the least with N69,800.
As of May 2023, “Kwara State had the highest motorcycle transport fare with N760.00, followed by Lagos with N750.04, while the least fare was recorded in Edo with N158.05,” according to the research.
Similarly, it stated that Borno had the lowest recorded water transport fare of N360. 00, followed by Rivers with N3,500 and Delta State with N3,510.
The statistics office’s study by zone revealed that, in May, the North-east recorded the highest transport costs for bus trips within the city, at N703.41, followed by the South-South, at N660.75, and the South-East, at N617.14.
The South-west had the highest intercity bus fare, N4,256.78, followed by the North-east with N4,154.38, while the North-west had the lowest fare with N3,825.19.
“The North-east recorded the highest air transportation fare in May 2023 with N77,058.33, followed by the South-east with N75,350.00, while the North-central had the least with N72,950.71,” the report stated.
