The Chairman of the Presidential Inter-ministerial Committee on Subsidised Yuletide Inter-state Transport, Dr. Dele Alake has assured Nigerians that logistics for the 50 per cent discount on road transport on 22 major routes across the country from 21st December to 4th January 2024 has been finalised.
Earlier on Wednesday, Alake, who is also the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, announced that President Bola Tinubu approved a 50 per cent slash in price of interstate transport fare for Nigerians traveling during the yuletide.
The Minister also said that the President approved free rides for commuters on all train services within the period.
In the company of Ministers of Transportation, Senator Saidu Alkali; Information and National Orientation Minister, Mallam Mohammed Idris; and the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Alake announced a presidential intervention to reduce the cost of inter-state road transport by 50 per cent, while commuting on railways would be free from 21st December 2023 to 4th January, 2024.
Addressing the media after a follow up meeting, alongside the Minister of Interior, Hon. Tunji Olubunmi-Ojo and his Transportation counterpart, Alake reiterated that all was set for the effective implementation of the initiative, which he emphasised is aimed at easing the burden of high cost of transport on Nigerians, this festive season.
Alkali said that the Federal Government is using the structured Luxury Buses Association of Nigeria to operate the discounted fares in the 22 routes, across the country, restating that implementation will commence on Thursday, while the specified routes will be announced, shortly.
On securing mining sites, the Interior Minister said that the National Security and Civil Defence Corps would play a significant role in the new security architecture, which in the works, stressing that collaboration with the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development in that regard remains unflinching.
Alake said: “It is in this wise that the President is announcing through us that beginning from tomorrow, 21st December, Nigerians willing to travel can board public transport via mini buses, luxury buses at 50 per cent discount of current cost and all our train services on the route the trains currently serve at zero cost on their travels this holiday season.
“This special presidential intervention will commence tomorrow, Thursday, 21st December and it will end on 4th January 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”.
Alake added that, “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”.
However, Alake said air travel was excluded from the initiative 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.
