President Bola Tinubu has announced a 50% cost reduction for buses and free train rides starting from December 21st to January 4th for inter-state travels.
The Minister of Solid Minerals, Mr. Dele Alake, disclosed the cut on Wednesday.
According to him, this is aimed at ameliorating the economic hardship faced by Nigerians.
He said, “President Bola Tinubu, in another demonstration of his love for Nigerians, has approved that the Federal Government should intervene to bring down the cost of public transport to allow our compatriots who want to travel to visit their loved ones and hometowns to do so without stress and the extra burden imposed by the high cost of transport around this period.”
“This special presidential intervention will commence tomorrow, Thursday, December 21 and it will end on January 4, 2024.
“The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Transportation, will be working with transporters, road transport unions, the Nigerian Railway Corporation to seamlessly deliver on this special presidential initiative.”
“I can tell you that all the relevant stakeholders in that industry have been discussed with or been engaged and all the parameters laid out and the Minister of Transportation has the full details and it’s on top of the game.
“In fact, the Presidents of the various transport unions have been met…and everything is in top shape in terms of execution.”
Though, he said air travel was excluded from the intervention because the initiative is targeted at the masses.
“The initiative is for the masses. Air is luxury. The masses don’t use air transport. So they are our main target,” he explained
