Gov Inuwa Defends Subsidy On Public Transportation

Special adviser to Gombe State governor Inuwa Yahaya on information management and strategy, Ahmed Shuaibu Gara has said his principal subsidised public transportation in the state to make life better for the people.

In a statement issued yesterday, Gara said the governor has provided 80 new buses to the state transport company known as Gombe State Transport Service in the last three years to facilitate the movement of people, goods and services to and from the state.

According to him, the key responsibility of the government is public security and welfare adding that public welfare includes provision of social amenities and making life easy, better and comfortable for the citizens.

“Public transportation is one cardinal sector that affects the lives of all the citizens. There will be no significant development in any society where there is no movement of people, goods and services in and out of it.

“Mindful of the challenges faced by the public in terms of transportation, Gombe State governor Inuwa Yahaya deemed it good to come up with interventions and projects to boost and further subsidize public transportation in the state. One of such gestures was revamping the state mass transit corporation otherwise known as ‘Gombe State Transport Service’.

“From 2019 to date, he provided 80 new buses for the company to enable it to render better services to the state citizens and other Nigerians who come to the state for commercial and other purposes,” he said.

The special adviser noted that aside from the availability of healthy vehicles, subsidies were granted by the government in the transportation fares charged by the company.

This is even as he added that the state government was currently completing a central motor park called ‘Gombe Mega Park’ where all parks including the Gombe State Transport Service and all private parks in the state will relocate.

“Inside the mega park under construction, there are facilities like adequate and befitting public toilets, restaurants, shops and hotel accommodations for commuters so that they will not need anything elsewhere while they wait for vehicles for their journeys.”

“Moreso, to ease internal transportation, Governor Inuwa last year distributed 1, 000 tricycles popularly known as ‘Keke NAPEPs’ to the youths on loans for commercial operation all for the benefits of the common man and law income earners,” he added.