The High Cost of Convenience: Uites Laments Skyrocketed Drop Fare

Sakeenah Kareem

Rodiyah Khidr’s day begins like that of any other student; with a calculation. Not a math problem for class, but a mental tally of her expenses. She reaches for her phone to check her balance, her mind racing with the familiar question: “Will I trek today?”

Rodiyah, a student at UI who stays at a private hostel, relies on the “drop” transportation service daily, sometimes multiple times a day. The 400 naira fare for each ride is a significant burden, especially when she needs to take several Drops in a day. “It makes me broke. It’s my most recurrent expense. I always have to factor it before I spend on most other things,” she explains. Rodiyah finds it absurd that she spends more on short distances within the campus than she does on longer trips outside. “I don’t even spend that much when I have to go to UCH,” she says, frustrated.

Rodiyah’s experience is not unique. “The high cost forces me to find alternative routes. For instance, I sometimes take a 100 naira cab to the school gate and then a 150 naira keke to my hostel, which helps me save money by spending 250 naira instead of 400,” says Hibbah Akinkunmi, another student struggling with the high fare.

Many students on campus depend on “drop’ to navigate their daily routines, but the steep cost is taking a toll on their finances. Those living in private and distant school hostels like Awo find Drop to be the only viable option due to the distance from the main campus. “It’s silly to have such a high price for small distances,” Rodiyah remarks.

For these students, “drop” is a necessary evil. The alternative, trekking, is far from appealing. Nabilah, another student, notes, “There are other things that the money could have catered for, but we had to weigh our options.”

Ajibola, the UISU transport committee chairman, explains that the price increase was due to rising fuel costs. Although students were hopeful when a reduction to 300 naira was proposed last session, the promise was not fulfilled, leaving them disheartened. “It would have greatly reduced my transportation costs,” Hibbah expresses with disappointment.

The Union’s transport committee chairman also adds that the reduction to 300 naira was not well-defined and that the current price list still states 400 naira. He mentions that the transport committee is working on a new pricing structure.

Odeayo Onaayomishi, the UI SRC transport committee head, supports this by stating that a revised price list will be released soon. She acknowledges that maintaining the fare at 400 naira for destinations where the normal fare is 100 naira is unreasonable. 

The upcoming resolutions include adjustments such as: “Drop fares to places where a single person is charged 100 naira will now be 300 naira, but if two people are sharing, it will remain 400 naira. For locations where the fare is 150 naira, the Drop fare will be 400 naira. Additionally, for destinations like Zik and Indy, it is mandatory for drops to enter the hostel before dropping off passengers.”

While these proposed changes may reflect an effort by the committee heads to address student concerns, they do little to alleviate the immediate burden on students facing high transportation costs. For now, students like Hibbah, Nabilah, and Rodiyah will continue grappling with the high cost of this convenience.

They will keep calculating, weighing their options, and hoping for a better solution. As Hibbah puts it, “The potential savings would have made a big difference in my budget.” “It is upsetting really; but they keep doing this because they know we have no choice,” adds Rodiyah.