THE effect of fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government has been taking a toll on Nigerian automobile owners lately. Well placed Nigerians are beginning to drop their big cars for smaller ones to reduce fuel consumption.
Vanguard’s investigation revealed that owners of big sedans and Sports Utility Vehicles, SUVs, with engine capacities ranging from 3.0 litres to 5.7 litres are now patronising cars with engine capacities ranging from 1.4 to 2.0 litres. Most car owners in this category are now going for cars like the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Honda City, 2.0 litre Accord, Toyota Avensis, Toyota Corolla Verso, and small SUVs like the 2.0 litre Toyota RAV4, and the 2.0 litre Honda CRV.
It was observed that owners of big vehicle hardly put on their air conditioners when cruising on the road these days to reduce their fuel consumption. Our investigation also revealed that car owners hardly bought up to half a tank of fuel as in the past. A fuel attendant at a filling station along old Ojo Road, Maza Maza Lagos, who preferred not to be mentioned, told Vanguard that unlike before, when car owners left their balance for the attendant after purchasing fuel, the era ended with the removal of fuel subsidy by the government two months ago. He said: “Who is going to leave his balance for you. Is it the car owner who hardly buys more than a quarter-tank or the one who keeps praying that God let this fuel last for two days? Oga, nobody buys up to half a tank these days. The situation is pathetic when you see a presumed rich man lamenting while buying fuel; nobody should tell you that there is nothing for you,” he said jokingly.
For instance, most big vehicle owners who drive cars like the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, and Nissan Xtera, who normally fill their tanks with N11,000 or slightly more, now buy a quarter tank with the same amount. While cars like the BMW X6 and 7 Series, Range Rover Autobiography, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which used to fill their tanks with N16,000, now get less than a quarter tank for the same amount. According to the fuel attendant, the only people who fill their tanks these days are transporters who ply inter-state routes and they do so because outside Lagos, you can’t buy fuel for less than N650 per litre.
Another fuel attendant, a lady who works at a petrol station along the Oshodi-Apapa expressway, said that she would soon quit the job because they hardly get tips from drivers anymore.
The young lady who didnot want her name in print said the situation is taking a toll on them because they have been surviving on the tips from drivers before now, but this is no longer coming as vehicle owners hardly have enough to buy fuel. She said, “Unlike before, when customers trooped in to buy fuel, you could stay for 20 minutes without attending to customers. Even when they drive in, they settle for only a few litres like five to ten litres. Some of the car owners who have dropped their big vehicles told Vanguard that, though it is inconveniencing not to drive in the comfort of one’s car, it was cheaper to go by public transportation if one can cope with the insults from conductors. Mr. Adindu Okoye, who lives in Festac, Lagos, explained that when he bought petrol worth N15,000 in his Mercedes Benz ML to his office in Lekki and returned to his house, he would have no fuel to go out the folloowing day. He said that his plan was to buy a Toyota Corolla for everyday use and keep the Mercedes Benz for long trips, like traveling to his village in the Eastern part of the country during Christmas and other festive periods. Adindu, however, believes that there is light at the end of the tunnel in his circumstances, as he said, “I know that things could normalize in the future, and we shall tell stories about this hard period in the history of our country.”
Meanwhile, Nigerian roads have been taken over by sedans. These small cars, especially Toyota models, are reputed for fuel economy and durability. Mr. Elijah Akogun, a businessman, said that the solution does not lie only in reducing fuel consumption in your car but also in how long your car survives under the current state of our roads. According to him, apart from not giving you the comfort of a big car or SUV, the money that you would spend on repairing the small cars due to the poor state of the roads is also something to worry about. (Vanguard)
