By Gloria Ogbonna
During the Yuletide season, significant congestion was observed at Lagos and Abuja train stations, attributed to the Federal Government's announcement of free train rides and a 50% discount on inter-state road travel, effective from December 21 to January 4, 2024. Additionally, two inter-state transport companies reduced their fares as part of this arrangement.
The Mobolaji Johnson, Lagos, and Abuja stations witnessed a substantial influx of passengers, causing a train designed for 648 passengers to surpass its capacity, leading to individuals standing without seats. This surge, causing an uncommon situation of standing passengers, was due to increased traffic at the station.
Officials anticipated similar overwhelming situations during the subsequent day's commute, especially as the free service attracted massive crowds. Some passengers who had booked online were unable to board the trains due to the immense crowd.
Before this announcement, train fares from Lagos to Ibadan ranged from N3,600 for economy class to N9,000 for first class. However, due to the significant demand for free and discounted travel, the e-ticketing platform faced technical glitches, preventing many passengers from booking tickets.
While some transport companies swiftly implemented the fare reduction, others hesitated, attributing challenges like high operational costs to their delay. Passengers experienced confusion and difficulties in accessing the discounted fares across various transport companies, with discrepancies in implementation and information dissemination.
Moreover, during an end-of-year World Press Conference, the Minister of Information and National Orientation highlighted the government's economic policies' anticipated positive impact in the coming year, focusing on areas like fuel subsidy removal, economic reforms, job creation, and increased foreign investments, and efforts in addressing insecurity.
As the government endeavored to alleviate the financial burden on commuters during the Yuletide, discrepancies and challenges in the immediate implementation of the fare subsidy were evident across various transport companies, affecting passengers' travel experiences during this festive season.
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