The Association of Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria (ALBON) has described as a welcome development the Federal Government’s decision to slash public transportation fares by 50 percent across the country from Thursday, December 21, 2023, to Thursday, January 4, 2024.
The transporters said the intervention by President Bola Tinubu this festive season is a commendable gift that will help Nigerians celebrate the Yuletide season.
ALBON, which is an umbrella body of inter-city and long distance passenger transport vehicle owners in all parts of the country, said the gesture will go a long way in alleviating the harsh effects of the removal of fuel subsidy on the masses, “at least, this festive season.”
The luxury bus owners said in a statement on Wednesday, hours after the announcement by the Federal Government, that though the reduction was very sudden, it has started reaching out to it’s members across the country and mobilising them to ensure they gear up for the immediate implementation of the Federal Government’s directive.
The Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Dele Alake, had during a press conference on Wednesday announced the presidential intervention in public transportation to celebrate the Yuletide season in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Signed by the President, Nonso Ubajaka, and the Secretary, Frank Nneji, the ALBON press release commended the Minister of Transportation, Senator Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali, for facilitating the Presidential intervention.
“The Ubajaka-led ALBON executive council had consultations with the Transportation Minister to fine-tune the arrangement.”
The transporters assured the Federal Government and the public that the 50 percent reduction in fares will cover all the luxury bus/mini bus routes across the country.
Some of the routes listed are Lagos to major cities in the north, and south-east, and south-south, including, Kano, Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria, Jos, Onitsha, Owerri, Enugu, Nsukka, Abakailiki, Aba, Uyo and Port Harcourt, among others.
Also covered are Onitsha to Lagos, and various destinations in the north, including, Kano, Abuja,Sokoto, Jos, and Gombe, as well as Aba-Owerri-Abuja; and Aba-Lagos.
Luxury bus passengers departing Abuja to Sokoto, Lagos, Onitsha/Owerri/Port Harcourt, Enugu/Abakaliki, Kano and Gombe routes will also pay only half of the current fares.
According to the arrangement, passengers travelling from Lagos to eastern destinations like Onitsha, Enugu and Owerri, which currently attracts about N36, 000, will now pay only N18, 000 between now and January 4, 2024.
Similarly, on the Lagos-Kaduna-Zaria route where the fare this season is about N48,000, passengers are expected to pay N24, 000.
