It also reported that the President approved free rides for commuters on all train services within the period.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) on Thursday stated that the agency is yet to recover from previous transportation fare waivers by the government it participated in two years ago.
SaharaReporters reported on Wednesday that President Bola Tinubu approved a 50 percent reduction in the prices of inter-state transport fares for Nigerians travelling during the Yuletide from Thursday, December 21, 2023, to January 4, 2024.
It also reported that the President approved free rides for commuters on all train services within the period.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development and Chairman of the inter-ministerial committee on presidential intervention, Dele Alake, announced the administration’s gesture to State House Correspondents at the Aso Rock Villa on Wednesday.
However, the Managing Director of the NRC, Fidet Okhiria, while speaking on the development on Thursday during a Channels TV programme, expressed concerns over the cost of the intervention scheme and hopes the government can defray the costs.
Okhiria asserted that the agency will buy diesel to power the trains and other expenses.
He said; “This is not the first time. We did this two years ago. It was effective. I say we’ve yet to recover from that. But what is the government for? The government is to make sure that people have comfort as much as possible.
“And we are quite willing and wishing to provide that service. You know, you don’t forget in other developed world, they get this thing either directly or indirectly.
“You recall during the COVID, even private companies were given relief, and those without jobs like in the UK, US, and everywhere…So it’s a good thing that the government considers we should do a free service, but they should also be willing to provide the resources to do it.”
“We are hoping this time they are going to give us fuel and those 15 days we are going to provide the free service. They are also willing to provide at least the money we pay to the cleaners and the security," he added.