From all indications, automobile dealers at Berger automobile market are unhappy at the moment as they lament low sales due to the heavy traffic congestion, caused mainly by articulated vehicles which have blocked all access to the market.
When Shipping Position Daily visited the area, some dealers said that a couple of months ago, they witnessed a slight improvement in sales because the roads were a bit free unlike what they record lately.
One of the dealers, who gave his name as Oforka Chim, said that the atmosphere at the market does not indicated approach of Christmas season unlike what they witnessed in the previous years.
“To be honest with you, I don’t understand what is happening here any longer. No sales, people will transport themselves to the market only for them to spend the whole day without selling anything and they will eat and do other things. At the end of the day you find out that you are going home with nothing”
Another dealer who pleaded anonymity said that it is only by the special grace of God that automobile dealers in Nigeria especially at the Berger market are surviving.
“Before now, the sales were very low now that the whole road is blocked, everything is worst. Some customers will call you that they want to buy a car and you will be waiting for them only for you to call after waiting for some hours and they will tell you that they can’t come again due to traffic. All these tanker drivers will come and park here with no attempt of leaving causing untold low sales for us”.
Meanwhile another dealer who identified himself simply as Mr. CJ confirmed that prices of vehicles at the market will soon go up as the year is gradually coming to an end.
He also said that vehicles which were sold for N2,000, 000 will go up when Christmas is coming closer as the rush will be much.
He therefore advised members of the public who plan to buy vehicles to do so now as the prices cannot be predicted in the next couple of weeks.
“This is how it most times, but we are very hopeful that sales will pick up and the prices will also go up. So anybody that wants to buy a car should do that now the earlier the better”, he concluded.
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