Even before the Christmas holiday drew so close, Nigerians had envisioned a mellow path to going about the festivities if they will call it that. That ultimately meant keeping things moderate and also putting travel plans on hold. Should they hit the road, the federal government’s special discounted holiday season fare might have played a role.

During a Wednesday press briefing at the Aso Rock in Abuja, the chair of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Presidential Intervention and also Solid Minerals Development Minister, Mr Dele Alake, shared that interstate travellers will enjoy discounted fares while crisscrossing the country to meet loved ones.

The discounted fares translate to a 50% slash for passengers boarding luxury buses and free rides for those journeying via the train service.

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Laying it all out, the Minister said, “President Tinubu wants Nigerians to travel within Nigeria to wherever they want to meet their loved ones without the extra burden of paying exorbitantly for inter-state public transportation.

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

“This means that from tomorrow (today), Nigerians willing to travel can board public transportation via luxury buses at a 50 per cent discount on 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.

“This special presidential intervention will commence tomorrow, Thursday, December 21. It will end on January 4, 2024. The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Transportation, will be working with transporters, road transport unions, and [the] Nigerian Railway Corporation to seamlessly deliver on this special presidential initiative.”

Even though trade union representatives think the measure can go deeper into fuel price reduction, federal officials picture the intervention as much-needed relief.

The discount so far has the National Union of Road Transport Workers’ backing, with its spokesperson Mr Segun Falade establishing a presence at the Aso Villa briefing. There aren’t many people yet to confirm the price slash as state transportation unions are reporting that they haven’t been informed.

According to Transport Minister, Saidu Alkali who also attended the briefing, officials decided to use the luxury buses and their union “because they are more organised and more structured”.

For the train services, the passengers can expect free rides via the Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itapke, and Abuja-Kaduna rail tracks after checking schedules and booking spots online.

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Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.