The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced an arrangements for a 50% slash on the cost of using public buses for interstate traveling throughout Nigeria during the Christmas and New year holiday and celebration.

This was revealed by the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake in a briefing with State House Correspondents in Aso Rock on Wednesday 20th December, 2023.

Dele alake

The Minister also revealed that the Presidency has also arranged for 100 percent free interstate train ride to compliment the subsidised road journey via public buses starting from Thursday 21st December 2023 to January 4th 2024.

This according to him is to alleviate the challenges of the current harsh economic realities, especially, in the yuletide season and the new year celebrations.

In his statements, the Minister remarked that “It is in this wise that the President is announcing through us that beginning tomorrow, December 21, Nigerians willing to travel can board public transport via mini buses, luxury buses at 50 percent 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, December 21 and it will end on January 4, 2024.

Explaining the arrangements made by the presidency on how to work it out, Honourable Dele Alake said “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.”

He 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.”

Comrade Ibikunle Baruwa, National President of NURTW

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.