Don't get me twisted, I'm just not happy seeing people's well planned business going down due to mismanagement. If you have been using ABC transport company for the past two years, one will understand that ABC transport company are living on their past glory. If I have the opportunity to manage ABC transport, within 6months. I will return the business to what it used to be.
I'm writing this article not because I want people to stop patronizing the company, but because I want the company's management to sit up and put things in order. Listen I have been an ABC Gold costumer so for me to be criticizing ABC means that I'm not satisfy and i want the company to return to what it used to be. I could remember those days when people were over proud to be using ABC transport company.
Within those days, people that were traveling with ABC Coach were business men and women. In fact people that matters in the societies, name them, politicians, business men and women, people in diaspora. Those days, the name " ABC" rings bell. People prefer using ABC coach then flying or using any other transport company in Nigeria because those days, you hardly see any ABC transport coach that has any accident compare with the young shall grow, Chisco and others.
Though people were saying that the young shall grow transport company and Chisco transport company are into rituals, and that was the reason their buses often got accident. But there is no evidence to back this claims. But all I can say is that, the causes of the accidents those days was because of heavy consumption of alcohol by the drivers and couple with the heavy load of " fufu that is cassava local food", the drivers often take before they embark on a journey of 10-12 hours. Don't forget that when you eat fufu and add it with a couple of alcoholic drinks, you will be weak and sleepy. So tell me when a driver is in this condition and is on a speed above 100 kilometers per hour in a worst road, why won't he had an accident.
So for this reasons, people were patronizing ABC transport company because of their accident free record due to their safety first campaign, which made it necessary that all drivers must not exceed 90 kilometers per hour, and there are several numbers to call and report any driver that over speed the 90 kilometers per hour limit . Couple with how organize ABC were and they are always on time. When they tell you that your coach will live by 7;30am, immediately it is time to move, the coach will leave without wasting time. At the costumer care office, you will see people that missed their buses complaining.
Some will want to get their 50% refunds, while some people will want to add money and rebook their buses against the following day if there is no next bus. In fact those days, when they announced your boarding time, as you get to the bus, you will see a well dressed gentleman in a suits like a pilot. And inside the coach, you will be offered a delicious rice and a chilled water with some newspapers to welcome you on board. And if any of their bus developed air condition problem, they will refund you some money but now the story is revised.
Things has changed from bad to worst. ABC is now the worst transport company anybody will ever want to use. A journey of 10-12 hours before is now 18-20hours, sometimes you leave Lagos around 9am with a supposed 6;30 or 7;30am bus and believe me, you will get to Owerri or Abuja the next day around 1am in the middle of the night. If the bus did not break down in "Sagamu" it will be between Ore to Benin. In fact what got me angry was my last journey from Lagos to Abuja in June 2016, the bus broke down towards Ibadan area. Everybody were angry, first a 6;30am bus, we left around 9am. The rice they saved us was not done, in fact i couldn't eat the rice it looks like food one often eat when he or she attends the poorest persons burial.
Around 12noon, they were able to get us a second bus because one Hausa paramilitary man was in the bus and the man called their office in Lagos and threaten them and that was why they sent another bus if not, we would have waited until a mechanic come to fixed it. Upon all that stress, we got to Abuja around 1am in the morning. Based on my calculations and information obtained, ABC has no reason to go down if not because of mismanagement.
For example, ABC charges 6,700 naira. If you multiply it by 52 seats, he will be making 338,000 a day then multiply it by 30 days in a month, Each bus will be giving ABC 10,140,000 naira. Then multiply it by 12 months, you will find out that each bus is bringing in 121,680,000. The cost of each bus is between 60,000,000. Even if you Subtract their expenses, ABC will still make enough money to change new buses every 2 years. In fact, those days ABC used to have 2 buses from Amuwo, we are not talking about other branches. One will understand that it will cost ABC nothing to change new buses every 2-3 years. Could you imagine that last time I was going to Owerri, ABC combined people coming from Amuwo with Jibowu to Enugu, Abia and Owerri, all in the same bus yet the bus was not full. If you know ABC those days, they have daily buses with different coaches to all these destinations. Sometimes two buses to each destinations everyday.
In conclusion, I will tell ABC as a matter of urgency to call the management to order because you are loosing your costumers. Even although if you are making money from cargo and other business, you need to take your transportation business serious because not everybody like flying with local flights or like to use small buses. We need something that is alternative to flight which your company can provide. If I have the opportunity to manage ABC transport, within 6months. I will return the business to what it used to be.
The views expressed in this article are the authors own opinion and it might differ with your own views or opinion.
Written by
P. Oscar Iwuama,
Studied international Relations and diplomacy
At Anglo-American University Prague Czech Republic.
C. E. O, B & Arsco Ltd.
Websit: www.b-arsco.com
Twitter; @kas_cafe
No comments:
Post a Comment