NRC Still Grappling With 2022 Reduction Transport Fares

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has stated that it is still facing the repercussions of previous transportation fare waivers granted by the government.

In an effort to alleviate the burden of the soaring cost of living in the country, particularly during the Yuletide season, the Federal Government recently announced a 50% waiver on road transport fares and a 100% reduction in rail transportation fares.

However, shortly after this announcement, Fidet Okhiria, the Managing Director of the NRC, commended the initiative but also expressed apprehension regarding the financial implications of the intervention scheme.

He expressed hope that the government would bear the costs associated with it.

“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,” he said on Thursday’s edition of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily. 

“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.”

The removal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria has led to a significant increase in transportation costs, particularly in a country where the majority of the population relies on road transportation.

As a result, the NRC boss clarified that the agency will procure diesel to fuel the trains and cover other related expenses.