Thousands of passengers have flocked to designated motor parks in Abuja, Lagos, and other states to take advantage of the 50% reduction in transport fares provided by the Federal Government.
The Ministry of Transportation announced last Thursday that it had agreed with stakeholders in the road transport sector to support Nigerians traveling during the Yuletide by covering half of the road travelers’ fare.
Additionally, the government commenced free rail transportation for citizens on December 20, 2024.
The implementation of the scheme faced funding challenges from the Ministry of Finance, delaying its commencement. This initiative, according to a Memorandum of Understanding, is executed in partnership with key transport stakeholders, including the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, and the Association of Luxurious Bus Owners of Nigeria.
The scheme started with 144 routes from Abuja and Lagos to all state capitals except Anambra, which will be Onitsha, using 708 vehicles. The road travel palliative will run from December 24, 2024, to January 5, 2025.
At the Oshodi bus terminal in Lagos, many passengers were seen boarding buses under the palliative arrangements. Passengers expressed their joy and appreciation for the scheme, highlighting the relief it provided during difficult times.
The government has deployed staff and a monitoring system across all 36 states to ensure effective implementation of the scheme.
Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali, provided details on the scale of the program, projecting daily road travel at 17,588 passengers, bringing the total for the 13 days to 288,644 travellers. Rail transportation is expected to cater to 320,000 passengers over 17 days.
The General Secretary of the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria, Yusuf Ibrahim, expressed satisfaction with the response of passengers and highlighted the large number of buses deployed to meet the demand.
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