By Fidelis Ugbomeh
It all started, early hours of the morning on December 20 last year as passengers besieged railway terminals and travelled to various destinations to celebrate Christmas and New year with their families and lived ones.
Passengers enjoyed free train service from Warrior Itakpe, Abuja-Kaduna, Lagos to Ibadan, Kajola to Apapa, Ijoko/Kajola to Iddo and back.
The Minister of Transportation said that over 200,000 oassengers were conveyed within the first four days of the announcement of the gesture aimed at cushioning effect of fuel subsidy removal.
A passenger who benefitted from the gesture, Mr. Shiva Adebola said that “it could have virtually been virtually impossible for me to travel if not for the free train ride”.
He explained further that “I have an aged mother at Ibadan who has been clamouring to see my Children but for lack of fund I could not able to visit her with my children since this government came to power”
According to him the free train ride provided opportunity to visit Ibadan to see childhood friends and unwind away from the hustle and bustle of Lagos.
In her own case, Mrs Veronica Aniocha said that the free train service of this year was well organised to the extent that passengers who could not book earlier were given oppornuty to book provided they were armed with their National Identity Card numbers and number generated after booking.