Atiku Questions Tinubu’s October 1 Transport Fare Reduction Promise

Atiku raised the issue in his Independence Day address on Thursday, October 1, challenging the Federal Government to provide details of the routes where fares had been reduced and the new prices commuters are expected to pay.

Tinubu had earlier announced that Nigerians should begin to see measurable reductions in transportation costs from October 1 through the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme. The President said several routes across the country had already recorded fare reductions through CNG and electric-powered transport services.

However, Atiku questioned whether the promised reductions had translated into cheaper journeys for ordinary Nigerians.

“Bola, was this a Yahoo Yahoo promise or a hurried reply to my production subsidy proposal?” Atiku asked.

He said the government had not provided sufficient information on the specific routes affected, the previous fares, the new fares and the number of commuters expected to benefit from the initiative.

According to him, while any genuine reduction in transport fares would be welcomed, isolated reductions would not by themselves address the broader transportation challenges confronting Nigerians.

Atiku therefore challenged the Federal Government to publish details of the routes covered by the programme and demonstrate how many Nigerians were benefiting from the fare reductions.

“Nigerians cannot board an announcement,” he said.

The Federal Government has maintained that fare reductions are already taking effect on several routes. It cited examples including Borno, where CNG-powered and electric public transport services reportedly charge between N50 and N100 on routes where commercial operators charge between N300 and N600.

The debate comes as transportation costs remain a major concern for Nigerians, with the implementation of the government’s October 1 target varying across states.