Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has taken measures to alleviate the impact of fuel subsidy removal on citizens by approving the deployment of an additional 16 new luxury buses to various areas within the state. These areas include Saki, Iseyin, Ogbomoso, Oyo, and Ibarapa. This initiative is an extension of the effort made about two weeks prior, where 30 buses were deployed in the state capital, Ibadan, for the same purpose.

The total number of buses now designated under the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER) program, aimed at cushioning the effects of subsidy removal, stands at 46. Gafar Bello, a member of the 15-man SAfER committee and Chairperson of the sub-committee on Transport services, announced this expansion. Bello conveyed the SAfER committee's dedication to executing the action plan conceived by Governor Makinde to ease the impact of the subsidy removal on the general population.

During an assessment visit to Pacesetter Transport Service (PTS), where the new buses were examined before deployment to other zones in the state, Bello was accompanied by various sub-committee members. Among them were Ademola Babalola, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists; Kayode Martins, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress; and Babatunde Olasunkanmi, a State Director of Transport.

Bello emphasized that the SAfER committee, led by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Segun Ogunwuyi, was diligently working to actualize the Governor's plan to ease the impact of subsidy removal and improve the lives of the citizens. The committee on Transport, as well as those focused on Food Security, Food Palliatives, Healthcare Services, and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), were all collaborating tirelessly to make the Governor's vision a reality.

Bello also highlighted that Governor Makinde had sanctioned the immediate deployment of ten buses for inter-State travel, offering reduced fares for commuters traveling from the aforementioned towns to Ibadan. These efforts have already been positively received, as evidenced by the lowered fares for routes such as Iwo-road interchange to Orita-Challenge and Amuloko-Beere.

The positive feedback from residents led to the expansion of this transportation initiative to other regions, with two buses each of 56-seater and 40-seater capacities assigned to major towns such as Saki, Iseyin, Ogbomoso, Oyo, and Ibarapa. Furthermore, an additional six buses are expected to be available by the middle of the following week, serving short-distance routes within these towns and their surroundings.

Bello concluded by seeking the support and cooperation of the public, emphasizing the state government's commitment to reducing poverty and mitigating the effects of subsidy removal for its citizens. He mentioned that more initiatives, including food palliatives for vulnerable households, healthcare services, food security, and support for SMEs, are in progress and will begin benefiting the public before the month concludes.

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