Despite the announcement of a 50% fare rebate by President Bola Tinubu to provide relief to Nigerians during the festive season, passengers have expressed dissatisfaction as transport costs continue to remain high. The discount, which took effect from December 21 to January 4, 2024, was intended to alleviate the financial burden on citizens.
The government collaborated with several prominent transport companies, including God is Good Motors, Chisco Transport, The Young Shall Grow Motors, God Bless Ezenwata, and Area Motor, to implement the directive. However, passengers have reported that the anticipated relief has not materialized, with transport companies allegedly inflating prices despite the 50% rebate.
Maduforo Okonkwo, a passenger en route to Aba, expressed disappointment, stating, “The government’s announcement seemed promising, but the actual reduction isn’t reflected in our expenses. We expected a reprieve, especially during the festive season.” Okonkwo cited instances where transport companies did not offer the expected 50% reduction, and in some cases, the prices appeared to have increased.
Nnamdi Chintuwa, a university student traveling to Owerri, voiced similar concerns, alleging that transport companies were charging passengers unrealistically. “Even with the reduction by the Federal government, passengers are still paying above N23,000. Are you saying that these companies would have charged over N45,000 just to travel from Lagos to the South East? I don’t think Nigerians would want to pay such money,” Chintuwa remarked.
Emmanuel Edeh, another passenger at ABC Transport Company, revealed that before the 50% discount, the transport fare from Lagos to Abuja was N30,000. However, with the discount, it had risen to N42,700, leaving passengers still paying above N21,000.
Despite the collaboration with God is Good Motors on the scheme, as of Tuesday morning, the company charged N36,000 for the Lagos to Owerri route, according to reports.
Passengers are expressing frustration over what they perceive as inadequate implementation of the government’s initiative to provide relief, emphasizing the need for transparency and fairness in the transportation sector. The discrepancy between the announced rebate and the actual prices charged by transport companies remains a point of contention among travelers during this period.
