From all indications, automobile sellers and agents at the popular Berger Automobile market are in a happy mood at the moment as they seems to be smiling to the bank due to high sales.
When one of our correspondents visited Africa’s biggest automobile market, there seems to be free parking spaces for vehicles.
One of the agents at the market, who identified himself as Chidi Omneri, said that despite the bad state of the road the patronage is still very high.
He also said dealers who are enjoying improved sales are those who sell more of Toyota Corolla between (2004- 2006) model as that brand of Toyota enjoys more patronage more than every other brands.
He said: “Sales have actually picked, up no doubt. The people who are enjoying it the more are those people who sell Toyota Corolla because people like that car so much. They like is because it doesn’t consume much fuel. We sold the one we had last week. You can get the car from N1.8 million upwards depending on the year and the seller”.
Some other agents who failed to disclose their names also said that sale of smaller vehicles like Toyota Corolla and Toyota Camry has increased.
Meanwhile the reverse seems to be the case for automobile sellers at the popular Tin Can 2nd gate as many of them lamented bitterly about low sales dues to the bad state of the roads leading to Tin Can.
One of the sellers, who pleaded anonymity, said that people don’t even like coming to this place to do any business except clearing agents who do not have a choice because of the bad road.
“I won’t even blame anybody that says he/she won’t come here to buy vehicles because where are the roads the person will drive from? If you want to go through Coconut, if you succeed in going passing Coconut, what about Berger under bridge that is flooded. In fact the business is no longer the way it used to be. If you choose to go through Apapa, the Liverpool Bridge has been blocked for some days now by a truck that wanted to maneuver to the next lane”, he stated.
He also said that some of them have chosen to go into other businesses to be able to survive, adding that left for automobile business alone, it will be difficult to take care of their family and their own personal needs.
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