Osogbo Korope Drivers Protest Rising Fuel Costs, Demand Fare Review

Commercial minibus operators, popularly known as Korope, in Osogbo, Osun State, on Wednesday protested rising fuel and vehicle maintenance costs, demanding urgent government intervention.

The drivers staged a peaceful protest at Ayetoro in Osogbo and temporarily withdrew their vehicles from the roads to draw attention to the financial challenges facing commercial transport operators.

The protesters said the high cost of petrol, spare parts and other household expenses had significantly reduced their daily earnings and made it increasingly difficult to keep their businesses running.

One of the drivers, Adewumi Adeleke, said some operators spend as much as ₦40,000 on petrol daily, leaving them with little income after other 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 appealed to the Federal Government and Osun State Government to provide CNG refuelling stations in Osogbo, saying access to cheaper alternative fuel would reduce the cost of running commercial vehicles.

Adeleke said many operators were willing to convert their vehicles from petrol to CNG but needed government assistance to make the conversion process affordable and accessible.

He warned that the drivers could prolong their withdrawal of services if their concerns were not addressed.

Another driver, Prince Olakunle Ojo, said the rising cost of petrol had made it difficult for operators to make meaningful profits.

Ojo said a driver could spend about ₦15,000 on petrol and make only about ₦13,000 in earnings by the end of the day, leaving little for food, vehicle maintenance and other personal expenses.

“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 lamented the lack of CNG refuelling infrastructure in Osun State, saying operators who had converted their vehicles were unable 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 demanded a review of transport fares to reflect the rising cost of petrol, spare parts, vehicle maintenance and other operating expenses.

Another driver, Ariyo Idowu, said the rising cost of maintaining vehicles and meeting family responsibilities had made it increasingly difficult for operators to continue in the business.

Idowu also called for the provision and improvement of designated bus stops across Osogbo, saying better transport infrastructure would help organise commercial transport operations and improve passenger movement.

The drivers warned that they could embark on a week-long strike if their concerns were not addressed and urged the government and transport unions to engage them in dialogue.

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