The Chairman of the committee set up by President Bola Tinubu to implement end-of-the-year transportation subsidy programme has revealed the number of the beneficiaries.
Dele Alake, the minister of solid minerals development who is the Chairman in a statement issued on Monday by his aide, Kehinde Bamigbetan, said about 163,878 Nigerians have benefited from the programme.
The Federal government on December 19, announced free transportation on the routes of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and a 50 percent subsidy on transport fares for passengers travelling on 30 routes serviced by bus operators under the umbrella of the Association of Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria (ALBON).
Alake said the committee took further steps by adding two more routes, and engaged other bus-owning stakeholders, such as the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the state-owned transport companies, and the Private Transport Operators Association (PTONA).
Between December 21 and 31, 2023, he revealed that the NRC transported 71,000 passengers, while buses operating under ALBON carried 77,122 travellers, adding that 652 bus trips originating travels from Oshodi Interchange in Lagos carried 15,766 passengers.
“Between December 21 and December 31, 2023, figures available show that the NRC conveyed 71,000 passengers, while buses operating under the auspices of ALBON carried 77, 122 passengers, and 652 bus trips originating travels from Oshodi Interchange in Lagos carried 15,766,” read the statement
While this, according to him means no fewer than 163, 878 passengers benefitted in the first 10 days of the programme, he said train-bound passengers enjoyed total free service, while road travellers paid only 50 percent of the fares.
Alake noted that the programme is still ongoing and appealed for the cooperation of the bus companies to manage the return of passengers from their respective locations till January 4.
“The subsidies depended on the fares ranging from a saving of N21,500 on a Lagos-Abuja road trip fare of N43,000 and N15,000 on a Lagos –Onisha bus fare of N30,000.” it said.
The introduction of transport rebate was regarded as government support to reduce the effect of Petrol subsidy removal which has seen the transport fare across the country skyrocketed
