On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu approved a 50% reduction in the cost of interstate transit fares for Nigerians visiting over the holiday season, which runs from Thursday, December 21, 2023 to January 4, 2024.
This is because the President authorized passengers to travel for free on all train lines at that time.
This was revealed on Wednesday at the Aso Rock Villa to State House Correspondents by Mr. Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development.
Alake said, “It is in this wise that the President is announcing through us that beginning from tomorrow, December 21, 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, 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.”
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.
