By Daniel Tyokua
President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the commencement of commercial operations of the Abuja Light Rail Mass Transit.
Speaking at the event on Wednesday, Tinubu also extended the free rides till the end of 2024.
Recall that the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike had recently declared two months free ride for commuters.
The president announced additional four month to the two months free ride earlier declared by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
The president who was joined by other dignitaries in the inaugural ride to the airport, assured Nigerians that his administration is determined to alleviating their sufferings.
He commended the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike for rehabilitating the vandalised rail tracks and ensuring timely provision of access roads to all the seven railway stations bring them to live with modern infrastructure.
Speaking earlier, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike said his administration is aware of the difficulties residents of the territory pass through in order to commute from one spot to the other and is committed to changing the situation through the provision of adequate and modern transportation system.
The mandate secretary, FCT Transportation Secretariat, Chinedum Elechi who gave an overview of the project, said the Abuja Rail Mass Transport was awarded in 2007, and had a trial operation from September 2018 to March 2020 after completion.
He revealed that COVID-19 pandemic affected the continuous trial operation, coupled with massive vandalism of key components, which resulted in the ARMT system not operational since 2020.
Elechi said the Light Rail system has Nos. 12 Diesel Multiple Units each with a capacity to accommodate a minimum of 700 passengers, each train is designed to run a minimum of 14 trips per day, which shows that one train can transport approximately 9,800 passengers per day.
The two Lots, i.e Lot 1A from Idu Station to Gbazango and Lot 3, from Metro Station to Airport will operate two trains each simultaneously every day, which brings a total daily passenger count to 39,200 commuters. In 25 operational days in a month, it will be approximately 980,000 commuters.
He said Wike had constructed access roads and car parks in the 12 stations of the ARMT.
