The Lagos-southeast and Lagos-south routes would see more planned travels till the end of the Christmas/New Year season, according to the Association of Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria (ALBON).
This is in response to complaints that there is not enough capacity to handle the increase in passengers on the impacted routes after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved a 50% fee reduction on interstate travel for the Yuletide season.
The Lagos-southeast and Lagos-south-south lines have seen an unheard-before surge in passengers since the start of the Presidential palliative, according to a press release from ALBON President Mr. Nonso Ubajaka and Honorary Secretary Mr. Frank Nneji.
As Lagos residents take advantage of President Tinubu’s 50% fare reduction to travel to a variety of locations during the Yuletide season, the number of luxury bus departures from the well-known Terminal 1 interstate public vehicle park in Oshodi in Lagos has sharply increased. On Saturday, December 28, travelers flocked to the kiosks of the various luxury bus transport firms to purchase tickets at half the current costs, indicating that more people opted to go by night bus at the well-lit Terminal 1.
At the Oshodi Transport Interchange, our reporter saw a sizable group of passengers squabbling and waiting in line to get the refund tickets as others arranged their bags for loading before boarding. Travelers were informed by banners with conspicuous writing on the buses giving the discounted fares that the gesture was a “Presidential Palliative” that was passed through the umbrella organization of luxury bus operators.
However, it was noted that contrary to what certain online fake news outlets had previously said, there was no rush or breakdown of law and order despite the enormous number of passengers who were expected at the terminal. A discounted fee of N23,500, or half of the current N47,000, was being collected from the intended passengers for trips to eastern destinations including Onitsha, Owerri, and Umuahia, according to checks at the various booths even on Sunday morning.
Continuing, due to the great demand for the less expensive tickets, many travelers stay the night at the terminal to pay for the lower rate and catch the early morning buses, while other travelers crowd the terminal hours before night departures. The following member businesses of the Association of the Luxury Bus Association of Nigeria (ALBON) were observed selling the rebate tickets at the terminal: God Bless Ezenwata, Gobison Transport, Ifeanyichukwu Transport, Izuchukwu Transport, Okeyson Transport, and Evergreen Express.
Some of the passengers on an Evergreen luxury bus headed to Aba, who each paid N23,500, thanked President Tinubu for the fee reduction just before the bus left on Saturday night.
One of them identified himself as Anthony Uba and stated: “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.”
In a similar vein, a few thrilled Aba-bound passengers on an Okeyson luxury bus acknowledged that they had taken advantage of the 50% discount and praised the President for funding travel via the luxury bus carriers over the Christmas season. While one Izu Chukwu bus was observed leaving for Asaba, another Ezenwata vehicle was observed carrying Aba passengers, all of whom were thrilled at the opportunity to take advantage of “Tinubu’s palliative.”
Though some of them hope for a similar gesture during the 2025 Christmas season, the majority of them requested an extension of the January 5, 2025 end date while thanking the Federal Government for relieving them of the burden of high transport fares during a period of economic hardship in Nigeria.
According to a Gobison traveler who spoke to BrandSpur national news desk, he and his family also received benefits in 2023. He said: “I am happy that I am traveling with my children with the 50 percent tickets. The President has done well, and pray he does it again next Christmas so that poor people can travel home to meet their relations.”
