In many instances, and rightfully so, the University of Ibadan has been labelled a microcosm of our dear Nigeria. Politics, leadership, fraternity, boiling frog syndrome, you name it. The correspondences between the university community and country are very telling on day-to-day conversations, relationships, and movements. Despite the similarities, one conspicuous advantage the university community has over – a considerable part of – the outside world is the better roads. While it may not be obvious to many, it contributes to how easy you move from lecture theatres to hostels, religious centres, administrative buildings, sports centres, etc. It even gets easier with intra-campus transport automobiles like cabs and tricycles. However, there’s been so much back and forth on increment of transport fares due to high cost of living from increased cost of fuel. Students have seen transport fares move from as low as 50 Naira just four years ago to 200 Naira today.
Is there really anyone to blame except our leaders? Amidst the helplessness of the common man, and students just trying to get to a desired destination faster than they would on foot, all have adapted to the hikes. Alas, despite committing more percentage of their allowances to transport, the daily lives of students have not been devoid of ridiculous tales of unpleasant experiences with keke riders.
The UIMSA Press, in a bid to tell these untold woes, reached out to some students to share their experiences. Unsurprisingly, extortion is the most frequent occurrence. Students have had to rant on their WhatsApp statuses and X about being scammed by keke riders who charge more than expected.
Drops
Taking drops – private cab/keke – to destinations that are not so sought after is a culture in UI. While it saves time for you as a student, you also get to enjoy the comfort that comes with boarding the cab/keke alone. Some also take these drops to get to their destinations faster in cases where they are running late for a class, programme, etc. As shared by many students, keke riders exploit people’s visible hurriedness and charge them more than they should per the prices circulated by the Student Union body. They charge 100 or 200 Naira more than the actual price, leaving students with no choice but to board if they need to get to their destination in time.
Temilade*, a medical student, shared that she has paid 500 Naira when it was still 300 Naira for drop, same with Shade*, another medical student, who paid 400 Naira instead of 300 Naira, for a trip to Anatomy. These students receive the same ‘distance’ excuse from the riders even when it’s established that overcharging is a punishable offence.
To overcharge for drop is one thing, to attempt to alter the conditions for drop is another. Some keke riders charge drop prices for transporting a student between two destinations on campus, then carry other passengers headed to similar but different destinations, while expecting the initial passenger to still pay the drop price. Peace*, a Physiotherapy student, took a drop from CBN hostel to SUB expecting that she would be taken to her destination alone, only for the keke rider to pick up another student at the same CBN hostel and one at Zoo axis – and still demand the drop fee from Peace when she alighted at SUB. After much back and forth, she had to pay and the rider got away with it. Tola*, a medical student, and her friend took a drop from CMF to attend a round of Jaw War: Rise of Legends. They had thought it would be held at NFLT only to realise that the venue was moved to the Social Sciences LLT. They informed the rider that the actual venue was down the road and not where they had dropped, only for him to ask them to pay another drop fee to the new destination. It’s ridiculous and inconsiderate for the keke rider to charge double the fee for a distance slightly further. Like Peace, Tola also had her fair share of a rider charging someone that joined her on a drop trip differently, while still passing the same route.
Exorbitant Transfer Charges
Another instance of inconsiderate extortion is when these keke riders – who agree to accept bank transfers as a means of payment most especially for drop – impose exorbitant charges on these transfers. Michael*, a dental student, who prefers to take drops on campus, finds it ridiculous when keke riders ask for 50 Naira charges on a transfer of 500 Naira. It’s enough that an individual is paying as much as 500 Naira for certain trips because they boarded drop. It’s unfair to ask them to add 10 percent of that money as charges because they are paying via a bank transfer. This writer is no exception to witnessing similar stories. I recently boarded a keke from the school’s bookshop to the main gate alongside a female stranger who’s clearly not a student. At the gate, the woman gave him 200 Naira – with obvious ignorance of the cost – instead of 100 Naira and the keke rider didn’t call her attention to it. He probably thought I noticed, then asked where I boarded from so he could calculate my balance, and played it safe by giving me my complete balance. That’s one of the numerous instances it could have happened with other people not particularly aware of how much certain trips cost. Ola* once mentioned that a rider wanted to charge him 150 Naira from the Bookshop to the main gate when the reviewed fare stated 100 Naira.
Charging Differently after Boarding
It is not enough that these riders apply exorbitant transfer charges. They also attempt to outsmart passengers after they boarded and are far into the journey. Peace boarded a keke – when drop was still 300 Naira – from Zoo junction to the Staff Club and asked that the rider take her back where he picked her from after she collects a package from someone standing by the road side at the staff club. She was supposed to pay 600 Naira for this round trip but offered to pay 800 Naira with the extra 200 Naira as a tip. The rider agreed, and then along the way insisted on collecting 1000 Naira instead; 400 Naira more than the actual fee and 200 Naira more than what Peace, in her benevolence, offered to pay. The rider didn’t stop at that but also picked people on the way when it was supposed to be a drop trip thereby inconveniencing Peace who was expected to pay 1000 Naira. She eventually paid 500 Naira after a series of arguments with the rider. Students going from private hostels like AOO, CMF, CBN and from Awo Hall to departments like Arts, Anatomy, Pharmacy, etc., have had to rely on tricycles to make it to classes early enough. They are willing to pay for drop but many a time, these riders refuse to load students going to specific departments with no reasons attached. The few that offer to go request an extra 100 or 200 Naira.
Treatment on Queues
Another instance of unfair treatment happens on the queue to board keke at the main gate. Since the increase in transport fares to farther destinations like Zik, Indy, and Idia Hall, certain classes of passengers, especially those headed to closer destinations like Queens and Mellanby, have suffered longer waiting times. They are ignored in the queue regardless of how long they’ve been standing. Picture this, if a rider sees two ladies going to Queens Hall and a guy going to Mellanby Hall from main gate, most would rather look for passengers going to farther places like Idia and Awo Hall, Faculty of Science or Faculty of Education, Agriculture, etc. because they would pay more even if the former had been standing there for a while. On two different occasions, this writer has seen it play out on the queue, where these affected passengers are confused as to why they are intentionally ignored. Another example is riders not wanting to load passengers going to Mellanby and Tedder Hall with another passenger going to Bello/SUB because of the pothole in front of Tedder on the way to SUB. In such cases, you’d hear ‘Kò lọ, Ònà yẹn ò dá’ meaning, ‘We can’t go. The road is not good’. Many are rude in their manner of conversing with students, making passengers feel uncomfortable with boarding.
Where We Stand
It’s beyond reasoning that a lot of students are being extorted and cheated, especially by adults who clearly have trained youths of the same age range. We shouldn’t have to face these unpleasant situations every day on campus because we want to board kekes/cabs. A sizable number of people already spend so much on transport per week and it’s unfair to try to outsmart and overcharge them while at it because ‘Fuel is now expensive’. In the morning, you can ruin the mood of a student who is running late for a class, practical, test, or even exams with unnecessary arguments about transport fares. People are at the risk of missing out on appointments on campus because they got ignored on the queue due to flimsy excuses. So many other issues can arise from that unfair treatment dished out, however inconsequential they seem. These riders know that they are in the wrong, for the most part because in cases where certain students threatened to report, they had colleagues beg on their behalf to let it go. So what does that mean?
Your reports count. For students, always ensure that you report to the UI ‘SU House Secretary in such cases as directed in the releases made by the Student Union executive council during updates on increment in intra-campus transport fares. Even before it gets to that point, students must insist on the correct prices. Open up your phones and wave the Intra-campus Transport Fares in the faces of riders if need be. Silence in the face of mistreatment, borne with murmurs and posts on X, won’t solve anything. Tomorrow, you’ll have to face the same riders, and the same actions will play out. We shouldn’t have to wait until we arrive at our destinations to create scenes. We shouldn’t even run from creating scenes altogether. Your rights come first, pride is a not-so-close second. However, we almost also note that standing up for one’s rights isn’t an excuse for disrespecting and insulting these riders. They’re service providers and must be accorded the respect that one would expect from adults schooling in Nigeria’s premier institution.
The UI ‘SU should also ensure that the price lists are circulated constantly and not just following reviews. Putting up the price list on the UI’ SU TV multiple times a week is a good place to start. If possible, there should also be banners at key bus-stops within campus with the price list highlighted. Most importantly, when these reports are made, they must be handled with the seriousness students deserve. Constant feedback from students should be the House Secretary’s priority via the UI’ SU Complaints Committee (Task Force). If we all play our parts, no one would have to endure trips they should instead enjoy.
Peter Adeyemo
(Click here to see the news story published by the UIMSA Press on the recently reviewed intra-campus transport fares)
* – Names have been changed to protect the identities of respondents.
