By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde.
The Association of Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria (ALBON) has announced an increase in scheduled trips on the Lagos-southeast and Lagos-south routes to provide for the surge in passengers during the Christmas/New Year season.
This move follows the implementation of a 50% fare slash on inter-state travels approved by President Bola Tinubu.
According to ALBON President, Mr. Nonso Ubajaka, and Honorary Secretary, Mr. Frank Nneji, the Lagos-southeast and Lagos-southsouth routes have witnessed an increase in passengers since the implementation of the Presidential palliative.
To meet the high demand, luxury bus companies have increased the frequency of departures from Terminal 1 inter-state public motor park at Oshodi in Lagos. Passengers are taking advantage of President Tinubu’s 50% fare palliative to travel to various destinations for the Christmas season.
At the terminal, passengers were seen crowding the various luxury bus transport companies’ booths to obtain their tickets at half the current price. The buses offering the special fares displayed banners with bold inscriptions informing travellers that the gesture was a “Presidential Palliative” passed through the luxury bus owners’ umbrella body.
Despite the presence of many passengers, there was no breaking of law and order. The discounted price of N23,500, half of the current N47,000, was being collected from passengers for trips to eastern destinations like Onitsha, Owerri, and Umuahia.
The high demand for the cheaper tickets has led to passengers arriving at the terminal hours ahead of night departures, with some spending the night there to secure the discounted fare and board the early morning buses.
Member-companies of ALBON, including Evergreen Express, Okeyson Transport, Ifeanyichukwu Transport, Izuchukwu Transport, God Bless Ezenwata, and Gobison Transport, were seen selling the rebate tickets at the terminal.
Passengers expressed their gratitude to President Tinubu for the fare palliative. Anthony Uba, a passenger on an Evergreen luxury bus going to Aba, said, “This is the best Christmas gift anyone can get. I had given up hope of travelling home this season due to the high fares until I heard that the luxury bus transporters are partnering with the Federal Government to sell tickets at half the prices.”
Another passenger on an Okeyson luxury bus going to Aba confirmed that they benefited from the 50% discount and thanked the President for subsidizing Christmas season travels through the luxury bus transporters.
While expressing their gratitude, most passengers appealed for an extension of the January 5, 2025 end date for the fare palliative. Others hoped for the fare palliative in 2025 Christmas season.
“I am happy that I am travelling with my children with the 50 percent tickets. The President has done well, and I pray he does it again next Christmas, so that poor people can travel home to meet their relations,” said a Gobison passenger.
The leadership of ALBON commended President Tinubu for approving the subsidy on Christmas trips, which would relieve the travelling public of the burden of high fares occasioned by rising costs of vehicle maintenance.
