The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has warned motorists against causing traffic due to the scarcity of fuel resulting in long queues at filling stations in the state.
This is as the agency deployed more officers to monitor situations at filling stations across the state to curtail the build up of traffic.
This was disclosed by the General Manager of LASTMA, Bolaji Oreagba, in a statement on Wednesday.
“The scarcity of fuel being experienced is not an excuse to block and impede traffic flows across Lagos.
“We want our roads to be free; we do not want fuel queues to constitute a burden for other road users in Lagos,” Oreagba was quoted as saying in a statement by LASTMA Director, Public Affairs & Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq.
IPMAN blames private depots for scarcity of fuel
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Western Zone, has blamed the hike in private depot prices for the increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as fuel, that has led to the scarcity of the commodity.
This was disclosed to NAN by Alhaji Dele Tajudeen, Chairman, IPMAN Western Wone, on Tuesday in Lagos.
Tajudeen lamented the increase in depot price of fuel from N148.17 per litre to N178 per litre since last week.
He revealed that private depots took advantage of the lack of the product by non of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC) depots.
IPMAN Chairman:
“The only option for our members is to opted for private depots to keep our business moving.
“We are totally against the increase because it will affect our profit margins and the masses.
“Some private depots who have product, deliberately, refused to sell for reasons best known them,” he said.
The IPMAN chairman blamed the private depots for “selling at N170 per litre,” adding that the price was “not realistic”.
He said, “Therefore, our members have no other option than to sell between N195 and N200 per litre within Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states, while we will sell between N200 and N210 in Kwara, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti states.
“Most of the tank farm owners have justified this increase because of different charges, among which is vessels charges paid in dollars.
“We are equally calling on the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to investigate the arbitrary increase in fuel price by the private depot owners.
