Indication at the weekend was that despite the very unbearable high cost of living that has eroded the purchasing power of Nigerians, millions travelled to their towns and villages for the Christmas without benefitting from President Tinubu’s 50 percent reduction in transport fares for air and road transport and free ride for commuter travelling by this Christmas. Commuters spoken to at the LIBRA Motors bus terminal in the Okota area of Lagos State, commended the President for the intervention, saying bus fare has been rising steadily since December 10, when most people start sending their families to their towns and villages for Christmas.
Bus fare which was from N15, 000 to N18, 000 in November was N32, 000 on Friday. A Commuter, however, wondered how the Presidency wanted the millions of Nigerians travelling this period to benefit from the Presidential gift when they chose just five transport companies (God Is Good, Chisco Transport, The Young Shall Grow, Area Motor and God Bless Ezenwata). A manager at LIBRA Motors, who did not want his name published, said that out of the five listed companies, only three currently very active operators. The other two have diversified into other things.
“Unless when they get the contract, they will approach people like us, who are very active to do the work for them but by my position here, I am supposed to know of such an arrangement when it happens. For now, there is no such arrangement,” he said. Commuters at GUO said that they heard of the announcement but lamented that out of the five companies in the list, only God Is Good has a park in the area. “But their buses are already fully booked.”
In a similar development, Mr. Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 2023 poll, hailed the initiative, as one of the ways of giving succour to the suffering masses but said in a situation where the details remained unknown, there was no way the move would have the full impact on the people that were supposed to benefit, calling for much openness on the matter from the government. Using his X-handle platform, to air his view on the development, he said: “I read the reports of the President’s approval of a 50 per cent slash in the price of interstate transport fare for Nigerians traveling during this Yuletide from Thursday 21, 2023 to January 4, 2024.
The news reports added that the President also approved free rides for commuters on all train services within the period. “If fully implemented, as reported, I consider this first-time intervention of the government, intended to help the masses, a step in the right direction. However, the major concern about such emergency measures is what follows afterward. The high cost of transportation and associated hardships are all well known. “The question this season- al palliative raises is that of what happens after the festive season.
Is there a sustainable policy measure to cushion the masses from the current high transportation costs? Even the current effort comes with operational challenges. Millions of peo- ple have already traveled, bearing the brunt and huge costs of such travels. How will such people get their refunds or be compensated? “Following the government’s announcement of a 50 per cent discount on interstate transport fare for Nigerians, I have taken time to inquire into the implementation mechanics across different cities but I have been disappointed.
