Bongese Resort to Walking as Fuel Prices Shoot Fares Up

Published: October 5, 2026

GBARNGA, Bong County – Passengers in Gbarnga are walking rather than paying higher motorcycle fares, leaving commercial riders who say gasoline now costs up to L$1,000 a gallon caught between fuel they cannot afford and customers who will not pay.

By Rancy Clarke

Riders told The Liberian Investigator on Tuesday that gasoline has sold for between L$960 and L$1,000 per gallon for about two months, and that carrying passengers at the old fares no longer covers the cost of running their motorcycles.

“You can’t buy gas for higher price and carry passengers at a reduced cost. If you do so you will not make any money,” said Lincoln Gbolor, a commercial motorcyclist in Gbarnga.

But the higher fares are costing riders business. Some passengers refuse to pay the increased charges and others choose to walk, the riders said. Abel Mulbah, another rider, said passengers complain about fares without considering what riders pay for fuel.

“Passengers complained that we charge them high and that is due to the rising cost of petrol,” Mulbah said.

The riders said the drop in passengers leaves them spending long hours on the streets without enough trips to cover their gasoline.

For John Sumo, the squeeze has reached his household. Sumo said he has been unable to consistently raise the money required by the owner of the motorcycle he operates, and that his children are now out of school because of it.

Zinnah Dolo, another rider, said the problem is not new.

“Gas price has been high since February and government is doing little to address the situation,” Dolo said.

Gbolor said riders are also confused by the gap between prices they hear announced and what they pay at filling stations.

“Sometimes when we listen to the radio, we will hear that gas should be sold at US$5, but we are buying gas for L$960 and L$1,000, which is far above US$5,” he said.

The riders called on the government to intervene, warning that further fuel price increases could wipe out the livelihoods of people who depend on commercial motorcycle riding as their main source of income. They noted that the Boakai administration criticized high fuel prices under the previous government and said it should now act on the same concern.