12 hours Ago By Olusegun Koiki
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Luxury Bus Owners Laud Tinubu LAGOS – The Federal Government has once again slashed road transport fares by 50 percent for long-distance inter-state travelers. This is the second time in 12 months that the Federal Government would offer this gesture to inter-state travelers. The discount regime commenced on Tuesday, December 24, 2024, through January 5, 2025.
To this end, members of the Association of Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria (ALBON) have commenced the immediate implementation of the 50 percent discount on designated long-distance routes across the country. The association in a statement on Tuesday by Nonso Ubajaka and Frank Nneji, President and Secretary, respectively, said that this follows a recent partnership agreement reached between the Federal Government and ALBON. The transporters also expressed their gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for approving the rebate which, according to them, would relieve the travelling public of the burden of high fares occasioned by rising costs of vehicle maintenance.
ALBON, therefore, encouraged intending travelers to go to designated public motor parks and major transporters’ terminals to pay only half of the current fares and board available buses to their destinations. The designated inter-state routes on which the fare rebate are applicable include: Abuja to Damaturu, Kano, Maiduguri, Makurdi, and Sokoto. Those leaving Abuja for the Southern parts of the country would also pay half the fares if they are travelling to Aba, Benin, Enugu, Owerri, Port Harcourt, and Umuahia.
The discount is also available for departures from Lagos to destinations like Aba, Abuja, Asaba, Calabar, Enugu, Umuahia, Uyo, Warri, and Yenagoa, the statement said. For travelers departing Lagos to destinations up Northern areas like Gombe, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Lokoja, Maiduguri, Makurdi, Sokoto, Gusau, Jalingo, and Minna, would also benefit from the government gesture. ALBON said: “We urge intending passengers to take advantage of Mr.
President’s magnanimity and travel to their various destinations nationwide by paying half of the current fares. “Our member-companies have all been notified and are ready for the exercise. They include, among others Chisco Transport; GUO Transport Ltd; ABC Transport; Young Shall Grow Nig Ltd; Izuchukwu Transport Nig.
Ltd; God Bless Ezenwata Nig. Ltd; and SD Express Ltd. Some other ALBON members offering the ticket discount are Ifesinachi Transport Nig.
Ltd; E Ekesons Nig. Ltd; Ifeanyi Chukwu Industries & Commercial Ltd; Bonnyway Motor Ltd; Delta Express Ltd; Welfare Transport Nig. Ltd.
and God Is Good Motors Ltd. The transport owners assured that the offer would run non-stop from December 24, 2024, to January 5, 2025, informing, however, that it was on “first come, first served,” basis. “Once again, the ALBON wishes to commend President Tinubu for being responsive to the challenges faced by the traveling public.
We also wish to commend the Minister of Transportation, Sen. Said Ahmed Alkali, for his efforts in helping to make the palliative a reality,” the association said. At the various public motor parks and transporters’ loading offices last weekend, the operators had blamed the rise in fares across the routes on the rising cost of maintaining the buses, as well as on the high pump prices of diesel.
They also argued that at the peak of every Christmas season, their vehicles are almost empty during return trips, which leads to a situation whereby the fares for the “to” journeys are raised to cushion the losses incurred during reverse trips. For instance, according to the operators, during the peak Christmas/New Year period, an Onitsha-bound luxury bus that left Lagos with about 59 passengers, may return from Onitsha with as few as 10 people on board, running the same costs to and from Onitsha, but with very few travelers on the return trip..
