Thousands of passengers besieged the designated motor parks in Abuja, Lagos, and other states to benefit from the 50 per cent reduction in transport fares provided by the Federal Government.

Recall that the Federal Government through the Ministry of Transportation announced last Thursday that it had agreed with stakeholders in the road transport sector to support Nigerians who will be travelling during the Yuletide.

The government said it would pay 50 per cent of the road travellers? fare. It also commenced free rail transportation for citizens on December 20, 2024.

The PUNCH reported how the commencement of the scheme was hindered since December 20, 2024, over funding challenges from the Ministry of Finance.

This initiative, according to a Memorandum of Understanding, will be 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, among others.

The PUNCH gathered that the ministry planned to commence the operation with 144 routes from Abuja and Lagos to all state capitals except Anambra, which will be Onitsha with 708 vehicles. The road travel palliative will run from December 24, 2024, to January 5, 2025.

When one of our correspondents visited the Oshodi bus terminal in Lagos, many passengers were seen boarding the buses under the palliative arrangements.

Passengers who spoke with our correspondent in Oshodi early on Tuesday confirmed the commencement of the palliative scheme and also expressed joy in the development.

Mrs. Ejiofor Deborah could not hide her excitement, as she stated that she was not aware that the scheme was on until she got to the terminal.

?I never knew such a benefit was on until I got to the terminal this morning. Honestly, I am very happy and God will bless our President and help him to achieve his goals,? she said.

Another passenger, who identified herself simply as Mrs. Ojediran, appreciated the Federal Government for the palliative.

She said this would serve as a relief to Nigerians thinking of shelving their usual yearly travel to celebrate with their loved ones.

?I am happy because this is a major relief for me during this difficult time. Transport fares can make one depressed. When I learned there would be a reduction in the transport fares, I said it is a lie because I thought Nigerians who would be asked to direct the palliative will circumvent the process. But I must confess, I am happy because I got here around 7.20 am and I am already on a bus.

?This will allow more people to travel, especially those who initially thought of suspending their yearly travel to celebrate with their parents.?

It was also gathered on Tuesday that the government had deployed staff and a monitoring system across all 36 states to ensure effective implementation of the scheme.

The Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali, while addressing journalists, provided details on the scale of the programme. He revealed that daily projections for road travel are set 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.

?We invited the Association of Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria, God is Good Motors, National Union of Road Transport Workers, Road Transport Employers? Association of Nigeria, and Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners.

?They gave us their prices. We did our own market survey and found out that this is the price obtained at the park. So the discounted rate is 50 per cent of that.?

The minister emphasised that the scheme is being closely monitored for efficiency, ?We have a situation room at the ministry and have made available a lot of WhatsApp numbers, SMS numbers, and even call lines so that people can reach out.

?Our staff are deployed across the 36 states of the federation. In case there are challenges, they will report back to the ministry, and we will resolve them.?

Speaking on the initiative, the General Secretary of the Road Transport Employers? Association of Nigeria, Yusuf Ibrahim, said, ?Actually, the government announced the coming up of the event. So we sent out the jingles that people should come out, that the government is giving palliatives.

A lot of people have turned up. The event continues until January 5, 2025. So it?s not one day or two or three days. For those who are coming from anywhere, from any part of the country, they can travel to their states.?

Ibrahim expressed satisfaction with the response of passengers, adding that ?so far, it?s going very well. People came out very well. It?s not the first time that this is happening. It happened before, and people have been waiting for it.?

He also highlighted the large number of buses deployed to meet the demand, ?There are many buses that have been rolled out, depending on the vibrancy of the state. Under my own union, there are many. Because in some areas, like where there is a mass movement of people, we can say maybe nine vehicles per day or more.? (The PUNCH)

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