Edo City Transport Service (ECTS) has stated its readiness for the expected increase in the number of passengers who will be taking advantage of the free bus ride service provided by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration to travel to various places within the state this Yuletide season.
Managing Director/CEO of ECTS, Mrs Hauwa Dupe Ohikhuai, who stated this in an exclusive interview with The Nigerian Observer in her office in Benin City, the Edo State capital, described the Yuletide season as a season usually marked by an increase in the number of commuters as people travel from their different places of residence to be with loved ones during the holiday season.
She said ECTS would also sustain the free bus ride for citizens and residents of Edo State for as long as Governor Godwin Obaseki wants it.
“For us, we expect that it is going to be very serious this year, because it is totally free. We envisage a massive number of commuters, especially people travelling from Benin City to major cities across the three senatorial districts. We expect a lot of passengers and we are prepared for them,” Mrs Ohikhuai said.
“We have trained our field staff to be able to provide the services needed for the season so that we can better deliver on the mandate given to us for the free ride. We also hope to beef up security in our terminals so that there will be law and order, particularly due to the rush. This is especially for people travelling with their wives and families, people who may not have been to their villages for a long time but now want to seize the opportunity of the free ride,” she said.
It would be recalled that on September 11, 2023, ECTS, at the instance of Governor Obaseki, commenced free ride for citizens and residents of Edo State covering intra-city and inter-city routes.
The free bus ride, aimed to cushion the adverse effects occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government, was for an initial period of two months.
However, prior to the expiration of the initial two-month period, the governor directed ECTS to extend the free ride to February 10, 2024.
The free bus ride covers intra-city routes, that is, major routes across Benin City, as well as inter-city, meaning routes from Benin City to major cities in the three senatorial districts, including Auchi, Ibilo, Ososo, Uzeba, Uromi, Ewohimi, Ewatto, Ubiaja, Uronigbe, amongst others, Mrs Ohikhuai said.
She said the inter-city buses ply five major routes: Benin-Auchi-Ososo, Benin-Uronigbe, Benin-Ubiaja, Benin-Uzeba-Otuo, and Benin-Ewatto.
The intra-city buses operate six days a week, Monday through Saturday, while the inter-city operations run for seven days, Monday through Sunday, she said.
“In the first two months of this mandate, we have been able to carry 1,536,904 commuters, and these commuters have been able to save the funds they would have used to pay for the high cost of transportation resulting from the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy. They are able to save that cost and deploy such funds saved into other areas of needs, like house rent, feeding, school fees, and so on,” Mrs Ohikhuai said.
The ECTS boss commended Governor Obaseki for carrying out remedial work on some federal roads in the state that were previously in a bad shape, saying that it would facilitate the movement of the ECTS buses.
“Fortunately too, His Excellency has done massive remedial works on some federal roads and now the roads are more motorable and easier. With free flow of traffic, it will enhance our performance during this Yuletide season,” she said.
Speaking on the extension of the free bus ride, Mrs Ohikhuai said it was born out of the governor’s desire to further alleviate the sufferings of Edo people as a result of the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy.
“People are very happy because it covers the Yuletide season and you know how very expensive it usually is to travel during the Yuletide season. Now, people are going to be travelling free and it’s a big deal,” she said.
