The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC ) has declared a free train ride from Thursday on all its passenger services.
This followed the directive of President Bola Tinubu who also approved a 50 percent reduction in interstate bus fares to enable people to travel for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
The NRC in a statement said following the President's directive, it would commence free train service on its entire passengers' services from Thursday, December 21, 2023, to Thursday January 4, 2024, both days inclusive.
The statement added, "Passengers are advised to obtain their free tickets via the online e-ticketing platforms only. Tickets will not be issued at any of the corporation's train stations. Please note that no commuter will be allowed to board the train without a ticket.
"We enjoin commuters to be orderly and obey security personnel and the laid down boarding instructions of the NRC and those of its officials while at the station and on board the trains. We wish all our esteemed customers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in advance."
The President had approved the intervention of the Federal Government in reducing the cost of transportation for the Christmas and New Year festivities to 50 percent on all inter-state routes.
The Minister of Solid Minerals, Mr. Dele Alake, who disclosed this while briefing State House Correspondents on Wednesday in Abuja, said logistics for the Federal Government subsidised transport fare had been concluded.
He said this was part of the President's resolve to reduce the hardship faced by many Nigerians who wish to travel to see their family and friends during the Yuletide.
Alake stated, "In the spirit of Christmas and the end-of-year festivities, President Bola Tinubu, in another demonstration of his love for Nigerians, has approved that the Federal Government should intervene to bring down the cost of public transportation.
"This is to allow our compatriots who want to travel to visit their loved ones and hometowns to do so without stress and the extra burden imposed by the high cost of transport around this period. The President is well aware of the recent increase in the cost of inter-state transportation and even air travel.
"Traditionally, our people love to travel during Christmas and end of year to be with families and friends and this has been the practice for ages."
The minister explained that the Federal Government would be working through the Ministry of Transportation to reach out to transporters, road transport unions, Nigerian Railway Corporation to seamlessly deliver on the special presidential initiative.
He added, "It is in this wise that the Federal Government is announcing, beginning from Thursday, a special discounted holiday season fare on road transport and zero-fare by rail across Nigeria.
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"What this means is that from Thursday, Nigerians willing to travel can board public transport via minibusses, luxury buses at a 50 percent discount of 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."
Alake said this reduction would affect routes like Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Ibadan, Akure, Maiduguri, Sokoto, and other major inter-state transportation hubs.
He also said Tinubu directed the police, Department of State Services, the military, and other security agencies to collaborate to ensure the safety of lives and property during the festive period.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, also explained that the measure was not a one-off thing by the Federal Government, adding, "This is part of efforts President Bola Tinubu intends to be doing. It is not a one-off thing, and even though it is targeted at Christmas, the President would continue to review situations especially national holidays like this, and see what kind of intervention can come going forward."
The Minister of Transportation, Alhaji Saidu Alkali, disclosed that the Federal Government already met with the leadership of the transport companies toward a successful and efficient reduction of cost.
He said the ministry would maintain all the train routes to ensure that Nigerians enjoyed the maximum benefits of these special presidential interventions.
