By
Latiifah Amusan
President Bola Tinubu has given his approval for a substantial 50% reduction in the cost of public transportation across the nation, a major development aimed at providing relief to Nigerian citizens during the holiday season.
Additionally, the president has directed that all train rides throughout Nigeria will be free of charge from Thursday, December 21, to January, 4.
According to Premium Times, This announcement was made by the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, during a press conference held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday.
Mr. Alake revealed that a committee, headed by himself, had engaged in discussions with various transportation bodies across Nigeria.
The outcome of these deliberations led to an agreement that the government would absorb 50% of the transportation costs, calculated based on prevailing prices at the time of the meeting.
It was emphasized during the press conference that air transportation is excluded from this arrangement, with Minister Alake stating that the primary focus is on benefitting the masses.
The Minister of Solid Minerals further highlighted the proactive approach taken by the committee in reaching out to relevant transportation stakeholders across the country.
The collaborative effort resulted in an agreement that the government would bear half of the transportation costs during the specified period.
The special intervention, scheduled to commence on Thursday, December 21, and conclude on January 4, 2024, covers road transportation, including minibusses and luxury buses.
Simultaneously, all train services across Nigeria will be offered to the public at no cost during this holiday season.
