TheCable

The federal government says it partnered with the Association of Luxury Bus Owners (ALBON) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to implement the 50 percent discount on inter-state road trips on Christmas day.

Olujimi Oyetomi, director of press and public relations at the ministry of transportation, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

On December 20, President Bola Tinubu approved a 50 percent discount for inter-state road travel, and 100 percent for train trips, for Nigerians travelling to celebrate Christmas with their families.

Implementing the directive to ease yuletide travel burdens, Oyetomi said the ministry’s monitoring team witnessed 128 passengers departing Abuja for Gombe, Bauchi, Yola, and Maiduguri, paying only half of the transport fares charged for each of their destinations.

“The passengers got immediate reimbursement of 50% of the transport fares paid upon boarding their vehicles, by the Chairman of the ALBON’s Task Force on the Implementation of the discount, Chief Clement Okuefuna who personally conducted the disbursement in cash at the Area 1 Motor Park from where most of the buses which conveyed the passengers took off on Christmas day, 25th of December, 2023,” the statement reads.

“Since the routes to the north were mostly serviced by low-capacity vehicles as opposed to high-capacity luxury vehicles, ALBON has initiated a work arrangement with the NURTW, FCT chapter to service the routes.”

Oyetomi said ALBON also made good its promise to publicise venues for boarding the vehicles where passengers could be reimbursed 50 percent of the fares paid.

According to the spokesperson, four 16-seater capacity buses began loading as early as 5 am on Christmas Day, and the passengers were given back half of the fares paid and despatched to Gombe from Area 1 Park in Abuja.

“One 16-seater capacity bus was loaded with travellers who also got the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s discount of 50% and despatched for Bauchi.  Additional loaded and headed for Yola while yet another loaded and headed for Maiduguri,” he added.

“The last 16-seater passenger bus which loaded, got its passenger refunded half of the transport fares paid back to them and heading for Bauchi and Maiduguri rounded off the operation at Area 1 Motor Park, Abuja. 

“Thus, eight (8) buses loaded with 16 passengers each, totalling 128 (One Hundred and Twenty-Eight cheerful Nigerians got refunded half of the transport fares they paid, courtesy of the directive and provisions made for the special period of Christmas (2023) and New Year.”

The discount which began December 21, 2023, is expected to end January 4, 2024.