Peace Mass Transit( PMT).

A project in God's hands!

It was a great moment when I learnt my friend will embark on the same journey to ENUGU with me on Wednesday.

I am going to lay my granny to rest after her fruitful years on earth. My countenance was sober and my mind full of many issues of life. I needed a buddy to keep the journey worthwhile for conversations maketh a journey short.

We planned to get on the first bus and contracted a transporter to chauffeur us to the motor park.

I missed the Chauffeur due to late rising since I spent much time the previous night, trying to arrange my luggage. I have to make sure my personal effects are first to be loaded before others from people wishing to pass across one or two items to their relatives in the village. After all they say charity begins at home. Me before others.

Getting to the peace park was not much difficult as I luckily saw a "keke-na-pepe" that took me to the Mbiama-Yenagoa Road Junction. I have heard of how early risers get robbed along the street by unscrupulous gangs posing as transporters. Moving cautiously and calling the DOT number loud enough for easy recall to memory will put the keke rider in a tight corner in case he have something else in mind.

A call was placed to my journey mate to inquire if the first bus was filled and the reply got me delighted that i can still make it.
It's not who get there first but who came last to complete the vacant seat for the onward journey.

Getting to PMT park, I went straight to check on ENUGU bound bus and I was discouraged in the spirits. The Bus itself was rickety, with few passengers and much luggage to load. I looked for Owerri and Aba buses and they are newly acquired. The passengers are much, luggage few. And the rate at which passengers troop in is something else. Changing my route plan is not an option since my buddy have already bought his ticket.

Passengers came in drops and before long we are sure of departure in 30 minutes' time. The loader called out to passengers with load to come and identify their consignment before performance of his usual charge for loading. There was an argument on the amount of fee to pay for loading three big buckets of Point-and -kill. The catfish keep splashing water out of the buckets making the conductor to increase his fees in anger while the owner was on the lower end of the bargain. Claiming that he is in short of cash at the moment, cursing the recent increase in price due to the Sallah Celebration. Nigerians use every opportunities at their disposal to create inflation. It's now a tradition. Other passengers were trying to keep calm because they know the fish monger is only trying to reduce his cost of Operations. Transporting live catfish from the Glory of all lands to the Coal city is not a teaparty. You have to pay through your nose and maybe those folks in Tuscana or Red dragon may not care to know the source of the poor catfish. They may not even know how much trouble night have been incured trying to bring these aquatic fellows to the serving plates.

My thoughts wonder far and back to the main crux of this write up. Why is it that PEACE MASS TRANSIT have a habit of scheduling rickety buses for ENUGU Route?
Is it because Enugu-bound passengers have gotten so used to it that they no longer complain?
I have journeyed down to Yenagoa from ENUGU, Abuja to Enugu and the same is true on the nature of buses enmarked. They are old, tightly packed and the passengers and loaders or drivers must engage in one form of argument or the other. Is it a tradition? Or lack of customer care? Why will other transport companies not come and show PMT a good competition for market share of ENUGU-Yenagoa route and other Enugu routes?
The management of PMT should train their drivers and loaders on how to approach customers with genuine complains.

Sorry i failed to mention that we have to stop on a road side vulcanizer to inflate the right rear tyre and a smell of brake pad infused the air while we have a stop at Igbogene police checkpoint.

Two hours later, a front tyre was injected with the Vulcanizer's nozzle.

This is Nigeria!