Pat Stevens/
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has commended the federal government for announcing a 50 percent slash in interstate transport fare and free train rides for commuters during the holiday period.
Obi however faulted the implementation of the plan, claiming that his findings showed that transport companies at major parks across the country were not carried along by the government.
He also expressed concern that the measures put in place for implementing the plan are not enough to prevent it from being manipulated by greedy government officials and transporters.
Obi made his position known in a series of posts on his X handle today.
The Labour Party candidate advised the federal government to go beyond “seasonal palliative” and devise “a sustainable policy measure to cushion the masses from the current high transportation costs.”
His posts read, “I read the reports of the President’s approval of a 50 percent slash in the price of interstate transport fare for Nigerians travelling during this Yuletide from Thursday 21, 2023 to January 4, 2024. The news reports added that the President also approved free rides for commuters on all train services within the period. If fully implemented, as reported, I consider this first-time intervention of the government, intended to help the masses, a step in the right direction.
“However, the major concern about such emergency measures is what follows afterwards. The high cost of transportation and associated hardships are all well known. The question this seasonal palliative raises is that of what happens after the festive season. Is there a sustainable policy measure to cushion the masses from the current high transportation costs?
“Even the current effort comes with operational challenges. Millions of people have already traveled bearing the brunt and huge costs of such travels. How will such people get their refunds or be compensated?
“Following the government’s announcement of a 50% discount on interstate transport fare for Nigerians, I have taken time to inquire into the implementation mechanics across different cities but I have been disappointed.
“Today, I sent out contacts who consulted widely with the transporters in major parks across the country: in Abuja they carried out on the spot investigation in Jabi/Utako areas; in Lagos they visited major parks like Jibowu, Festac, Mile 12, Ajah, and Mazamaza and none of the transporters in these parks was aware of this 50% discount. At Upper Iweka, Onitsha, which is the main traffic hub in Anambra, and in other parts of the country like; Kano, Aba, Kaduna, Owerri, and Gombe, the story is the same.
“The government has again announced the few transport companies chosen to participate in the intervention for which 28 Routes have been designated. There are no announced forms of checks and balances to ensure that the transporters follow the terms of the contract.
“There are obvious questions on the integrity of this intervention effort. One expects that such a policy that strives to appeal to the broad masses, especially the downtrodden, deliberate and concrete arrangements should be made, with transport companies.
“I pray that this is not yet another spin to curry favour in the media space after appetizing the people. The Nigerian people are going through untold hardship and the government must not remain insensitive to their sufferings.
“Compassion on the part of government is a good thing, but it should not be an avenue for exploiting the weak structures of government to encourage less than transparent policy implementation.”
The federal government, yesterday, announced the transport fare slash on interstate routes and free train rides for Nigerians as a means of cushioning the effect of the high transportation cost associated with the holiday season.
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