By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has announced the fares on the new Lagos-Ibadan train service expected to begin operations by January 2021.
The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, made the announcement during the inauguration of the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIOTA) in Abuja on Friday.
According to him, passengers who intend to use the train to move from Lagos to Ibadan will have to cough out between N3,000 and N6,000, depending on the class they intend to be in the means of transportation, but he assured them of safety in the journey.
Mr Amaechi said: “I have received the mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari to inaugurate the Lagos/Ibadan rail project by January 2021 which will make Nigerians see the way the standard gauge railway looked like.
“Today, I approved the charges on passengers from Lagos to Ibadan. We just transfer how we charged from Abuja to Kaduna.
“We charge N3,000 per economy seat, N5,000 for business class and N6,000 for first class, the same is applicable to Lagos to Ibadan.
“It should have started running by now before Mr President inaugurates it by January.”
The minister said that the ministry would collaborate with CIOTA to enable them to achieve their objectives.
He said that CIOTA role was critical to the growth of transportation in Nigeria, adding that the country had advanced a lot in the area of transportation.
Meanwhile, the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIOTA) said the institute has begun the process of making transportation a professional sector in the country.
Mr Bashir Jamoh, the National President and Chairman of Council, said the move is to ensure that the sector achieves the global best standards and practices.
He said the institute would draw up a curriculum to keep the professionals abreast of developments in the transport sector.
Aduragbemi Omiyale 
Modupe Gbadeyanka