Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has ordered a 50 per cent reduction in transport fares for all persons with disabilities using the state-owned Benue Links Nigeria Ltd.
Announcing the directive in Makurdi over the weekend, the company’s General Manager, Comrade Alexander Fanafa, said the policy takes effect immediately.
The move follows the governor’s recent domestication of the national Disability Act in Benue.
Fanafa highlighted the administration’s swift response to the needs of commuters, noting that “the Governor has been responsive and proactive in attending to the transportation needs of the people of Benue and by extension Nigerians who patronise and enjoy the services of the company.”
He recalled that when the administration came on board, the company faced the challenge of a lack of vehicles.
“It was only the vehicles that people leased to us that were sustaining the company at the time.
The governor, in his magnanimity, donated 100 buses to the company in November 2023. And we have continuously sustained those 100 buses, bought 10 additional buses and 10 Sedan cars for taxi services to add to that fleet,” he stated.
Fanafa added, “The Governor directed that we reduce our transportation fare for all persons with disabilities who come to travel with Benue Links.
“They are given the privilege to pay only 50 per cent of our transport fare. They are also granted preferential treatment when they want to travel with our vehicles. This instruction is to ensure that the people with disabilities are also given a sense of belonging in society as far as the transportation system is concerned.”
He said the company’s competitive pricing and increased number of buses have compelled private operators to lower their own fares.
