FCT commuters enjoy free transportion from AUMTCO buses, taxis protest
NAN-H-47
Transport
By Veronica Dariya
Bwari (Abuja), Nov. 13, 2017 (NAN) Commuters in the FCT on Monday enjoyed free transport services from the Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company Limited (AUMTCO), popularly known as ‘El rufai buses’.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the gesture was well appreciated by many, who could not hide their excitement.
Some of them, who spoke with the NAN, said that it was a welcome idea and thanked the government.
Miss Rose Akpan, a trader, who said she was going to ‘Berger’ to sell her goods commended the effort of the company and asked for more grace for the company to do more.
Also speaking, Mr Ik Godspower, another trader, said that the gesture would give other companies and organisations a good example to emulate.
According to him, in every business, giving back to the society is well recommended as it would not only help the business grow but would also win the hearts of users of the goods or services.
Another commuter, Mr Joshua Damba, a civil servant, said that the gesture would go a long way if government at all levels would do such services once in a while to assist the general public.
“It just shows that they have us in mind and they share in our struggles,” he said.
However, when NAN correspondents went round the town, so many commuters were seen stranded as taxis going from Bwari to Wuse and ‘Berger’ refused to pick passengers going towards the axis.
One of the taxi drivers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that passengers should “go and queue and enter the free bus.”
” We would also not pick anybody since they are rushing to enter the free bus, we also are not ready to carry them, they should wait for the buses going to town to return to pick them. ”
NAN also reports that some of the taxis were seen blocking the buses from accessing the major route from the community into the main city, while security agencies tried to intervene.
NAN gathered that the FCT Administration had directed the buses to carry commuters free of charge on Monday.
Some of the drivers interviewed on condition of anonymity told NAN that it was the instruction from the FCT Minister, while some of them refused to talk. (NAN)
DVK/ASS/AFA
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Edited by Felix Ajide