Complaints & flops mar Tinubu’s 50% Christmas transport rebate as Nigerians suffer disappointment & denials at bus terminals

President Bola Tinubu’s promise of a 50% slash in inter-state transportation fares failed to take off in many parts of the country on Thursday, three days to Christmas leaving travellers uncertain of getting to their destination for the festivities.

While the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, had announced that the fare reduction and free train rides will commence from December 21 to January 4, the reality on the ground proves otherwise.

With Christmas just around the corner, the promised fare cuts seem to be dissolving into thin air as travellers who are burdened with the hope of saving on transportation costs are left stranded.

The lack of concrete information, late and inconsistent implementation across the country has fueled frustration and disappointments.

Agenda Papers spoke to some of the transport companies contracted by the Federal Government to convey travellers to different parts of the country, including GIG Motors and God Bless Ezenwanta Motors, and they confirmed that fares remained unchanged.

God Is Good Motors confirmed that the fare cuts only apply to certain routes and terminals in Lagos for now.

“That (the subsidised fare) has not been implemented for routes in Abuja yet, it applies only to some routes in Lagos. That doesn’t apply for now sir…for now the fair (from Abuja to Lagos) is N48,000. It has been implemented just in some terminals in Lagos,” declared a customer care representative.

When pressed for further details, the representative offered a lukewarm assurance that implementation in other states is in the works.

“But if you are in Lagos, Jibowu bus terminal to any place in Nigeria or from Lagos-Ajah is available,” said the GIG Motors official.

In Kano State, God Bless Ezenwanta Motors, a major player in the northern region, said transport fares to Enugu and Onitsha remained the same.

The company’s customer care representative seemed ignorant of any impending discount by the Federal Government.

“From Kano to Enugu, Onitsha is N30,000. Before the festive season, it was N24,000,” the representative said,” adding “We don’t have buses in Abuja.”

On the promised 50% discount, he said, “the date is not yet fixed. And I don’t know the date it will start.”

As of Friday morning, travellers are still waiting for further information from the government on if and when they will actually benefit from the intervention.

Alake, in his press briefing, had said the initiative was part of President Tinubu’s resolve to reduce the hardships faced by ordinary Nigerians who wished to travel to see their family and friends during the Yuletide season.

“In the spirit of Christmas and the end of year festivities, President Bola Tinubu, in another demonstration of his love for Nigerians, has approved that the Federal Government should intervene to bring down the cost of public transportation.

“This is to allow our compatriots who want to travel to visit their loved ones and hometowns to do so without stress and the extra burden imposed by the high cost of transport around this period.

“The President is well aware of the recent increase in the cost of inter-state transportation and even for air travels.

“Traditionally, our people love to travel during Christmas and end of year to be with families and friends and this has been the practice for ages.”

Alake added that the Federal Government would be working through the Ministry of Transportation to reach out to transporters, road transport unions, Nigerian Railway Corporation to seamlessly deliver on this special presidential initiative.

“It is in this wise that the Federal Government is announcing, beginning from Thursday, a special discounted holiday season fare on road transport and zero-fare by rail across Nigeria.

“What this means is that from Thursday, Nigerians willing to travel can board public transport via minibuses, luxury buses at 50% discount of current cost and all our train services on the routes the trains currently serve at zero cost to and fro on their travels this holiday season.’’

Alake further disclosed that the reduction would affect routes like Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Ibadan, Akure, Maiduguri, Sokoto and other major inter-state transportation hubs.

“This is part of the efforts President Bola Tinubu intends to be doing. It is not a one-off thing, and even though it is targeted at Christmas, the President would continue to review situations especially national holidays like this and see what kind of intervention can come going forward” he had said.