Following the launch of the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge rail line, the federal government through the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, announced on Friday ticket fares for the Lagos-Ibadan route as operations commence today, Monday, December 7th, 2020.
As announced by the minister, tickets for the route would be N3,000 for Economy Class, N5,000 for Business Class and N6,000 for First Class.
However, Nigerians show displeasure over the outrageous fare as they insisted that the majority of the masses cannot afford such exorbitant fare.
Reactions have been seen across social media, most especially Twitter NG.
@Smithcarina4 reacted saying “Like everywhere else in the world old or new train fares are supposed to be affordable to discourage people from driving there by decongesting the road and reducing traffic.
@TheHavilah_ “Why it’s this high in 9ja is simple a percentage is going to some godfather’s over the next few years”.
So……….the “affordable transportation” that is supposed to be an alternative to the MAIN mode of transportation is far more expensive than the one people are supposed to abandon?”
@iykimo, asked: “Isn’t rail transport the cheapest anymore? Lagos to Ibadan is N3k, N6k for executive suite.”
@DrOlufunmilayo tweeted “Lagos to Ibadan train services prices are out. It is 3k economy seat, 5k business seat and 6k first class.
If you do economy and plan to live in Ibadan and work in Lagos, that means 6,000 a day and 180,000naira a month.
ON TRANSPORT alone.
There’s no hope for the poor.
Omo”.
Another critic, using @Naija_PR, said: “How can rail transport cost N3,000 from Lagos to Ibadan? Who are the people advising these ogas? Your closest competitor is road transport. Why can’t they cut this price by half? Half the price and you are in business.”
Minister Amaechi justified the train fares and admitted that the government adopted the Abuja to Kaduna route template which has been in use since June 2017.
However, Nigerians urged the federal government to reconsider the Lagos-Ibadan train fare and also to note that Abuja to Kaduna route is longer which is mostly used by Politicians and leaders of industries.
An Abeokuta-based business executive, Chief Ola Agbebayo, said the new fare regime is a huge disappointment to a lot of Nigerians.
He wondered why the government took the price away from the masses who the train is meant to serve.
“All over the world, the train is the cheapest form of transportation and everyone who has traveled outside the country would attest to this fact. It is a means of last resort for many, whether resident or migrant. The same should be replicated here. The government has no reason to raise the fare above the reach of the average Nigerians, since it was constructed with borrowed funds which they are still going to repay,” Agbebayo said.