Lagos — National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has urged the Federal Government to expedite action on resuscitation of the rail system, to ease transport difficulties.

NURTW President, Gidado Hamman, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja, that the rail system was crucial, to "minimise the country's sole dependence on road transport."

He said a functional and efficient rail system would reduce pressure on the roads improve their life span, and facilitate transportation of heavy goods such as cement, fuel and fertilisers. Hamman dismissed allegations that road transporters were against revival of the railways.

He blamed the high cost of goods on the high cost of transportation, which were usually transfered to final buyers.

Hamman also urged government to assist in curbing the current high transport fares by introducing mass transit schemes.

"I am not saying that governments should have transport companies. They have tried and failed. All they need to do is to assist transporters to get mass transit vehicles. The Federal Government could do that by reducing import duties on such vehicles or even introduce complete waivers for the sake of the Nigerian masses," he said.

Hamman said the NURTW last year, started negotiations with a Chinese firm, Xinkai, toward purchasing some mass transit vehicles, but "the negotiations did not sail through, because dollar was selling at N119 when we discussed, now it is N180," he said.

The union leader said government could come in by buying such vehicles and selling them at subsidised rates to transporters.

He also spoke on the persistent shortage of petroleum products and advised goverment against total withdrawal of its subsidy on such products.

"Government should not withdraw the subsidy at once. It should be done gradually," he said and noted that building of new refineries would not be realistic without steady electricity supply.

He declared: "The former Commonwealth Secretary-General and the Akwa Ibom Government once said they would establish refineries."That has not happened largely due to the lack of sufficient power, because it is not easy to run such outfits on generating plants."