Did you know?
In 2018, according to a CNN report, Nigeria has an estimated 87 million people living in poverty, which is about half of the Nation’s population. This means that they live on less than $1.90 a day.
Growing up, I learned that three classes of people existed in society: The Upper Class, the Middle class, and the Poor. Now, it seems as though the middle class has been phased out because even they cannot afford to live comfortably. If you live in this nation, you belong to either the Upper Class or the Poor. Why? Because the standard of living has suddenly skyrocketed, hence only the rich can afford the seeming ‘basic’ amenities.
Trains, in reality, ought to be a cheaper alternative to buses and planes. They in the 80s were the most affordable and common means of transportation. However, due to incessant change in Governments and a lack of maintenance culture, many of them stopped being operational. However, it has been one of the key points of the present administration to revive such, and loans from the Chinese Governments have been used to that effect.
Nigerians were however shocked to their Bones when Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transport announced that Economy seat tickets would be sold at 3,000 Naira, Business Class would be sold for 5000 while the First Class for 6,000 for trips from Lagos to Ibadan and from Abuja to Kaduna. The major point of concern and worry was the exorbitant price for such a short distance. The Lagos to Ibadan trip would be the case study for this piece.
Lagos as a megacity is one that has immense opportunities and job openings but an outrageous cost of living. To cut costs, several persons who work in Lagos rent houses in its neighboring Ogun and Oyo States and shuttle the distance every day. Many have thought that, once the Lagos to Ibadan railways is completed and fully operational, it would aid in their movements interstate daily.
Did you know?
At the moment, a seat in a bus to Lagos costs between 500 – 700 Naira from most locations . A seat in a car might go as high as 1000 – 1500 Naira.
Why then should an economy ticket on a train cost 3000 Naira? The economy is supposed to be the most basic of classes in trains. Government-owned businesses have been known to offer discounts — a typical example of this is the BRT buses in Lagos that cost less than the average fare. A person who has to move within both states each day would spend 6,000 Naira daily and 30,000 Naira weekly.
For a nation that is the poverty capital of the world, how many can afford to pay such? We mustn’t be blinded by the glamorous photos of the country we see on the internet. There’s hunger in the land. And besides, how sure are we that these trains are even fit enough? Or that they won’t break down right in the middle of bushes. This is a government that has commissioned taps that don’t gush and transformers that have no power. We’ve heard reports of faulty trains stopping on their tracks. The same trains that cost billions of Naira to fix.
If the government aims to ease the lives of its citizens, why must the poor break their already frail backs to afford train rides?
The prices of Petrol sold at stations has risen to almost double of what it was sold for in 2014. Rice is at an all-time high. Onions have become gold. For many, these years Christmas Celebrations would be a time of lack. A live Chicken, which is a symbol of celebration would be sold for as high as 10,000 Naira which they would not be able to afford. Many are out of Jobs. Fees for school students are on the surge. If anything, the government should be intentionally creating ways and seeking opportunities to lessen the gap between the rich and the poor, by giving the poor more access to opportunities and capital. The government should not try to take the widows mite that they have.
The prices of the Economy Railway tickets from Lagos to Ibadan and from Abuja to Kaduna are only a testament that our government is out of touch with its people
