The Minister of Transportation, Sen. Said Alkali has kicked off the 2024 Yuletide Road Transportation Palliative.
He directed the leadership of road transportation unions – Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), God is Good Motors (GIGM) and the Association of Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria (ALBON) – to ensure that their palliative buses are moved to the designated loading points early on December 24, 2024, to begin transporting Nigerians seeking to take advantage of the scheme to join their loved ones across the country for Christmas (2024) and New Year’s Day (2025).
Alkali expressed regret that the scheme is taking off late, explaining that the delay was due to some logistical issues, which have now been largely resolved.
Nigerians intending to use this scheme from Abuja will depart from Eagle Square at 6:00 a.m., while those departing from Lagos are to use Oshodi Terminal 3 for northern routes and Oshodi Terminal 2 for southern routes. The daily departure time is 6:00 a.m. However, some participating luxury buses will depart between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. daily from Oshodi, Lagos.
Passengers intending to take advantage of the Yuletide Road Transportation Palliative should note that they will pay only 50 per cent of the regular fare.
The management of the Federal Ministry of Transportation further advised Nigerians to avoid rushing, given the limited number of vehicles designated for the 2024 Yuletide Bus Palliative, to prevent unpleasant experiences.
The scheme has 144 routes planned from Abuja and Lagos to all state capitals, except Anambra, which will use Onitsha as its hub. A total of 708 vehicles have been designated for the 2024 Yuletide Road Transport Palliative.
Kicking off on Tuesday, December 24, 2024 and running until Sunday, January 5, 2025, the scheme will last for 13 days, Alkali stated.
It should be recalled that the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) is already running a 100 per cent free train ride across its six corridors nationwide.
For the 2024 Yuletide and New Year period (up to January 5, 2025), it is expected that 17,588 persons will be transported daily, with a total of 288,644 passengers moved across the nation.
Nigerians are encouraged to check the approved route maps and designated parks for departures and arrivals.
