The Chairman/Sole Administrator of the Pacesetter Transport Services, Dr Ibrahim Dikko, said on Monday that the Oyo State government has subsidised transport fare for 5,880,000 passengers under the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery between January and July 2025.
He added that under the SAfER Transport, an initiative introduced by the governor to mitigate the economic hardship facing residents of the state, students, pensioners, the aged, people living with disabilities and other residents enjoy subsidised transportation in the state-owned Pacesetter Buses on different intra-city and inter-city routes.
Dikko, who spoke while briefing newsmen at the Governor’s Office Briefing Room, said that the Pacesetter Transport Services was able to commute 9,950,000 passengers in 2024.
He noted that the state government has committed a total of N2.1 billion towards subsidising transport cost across Ibadan and other inter-city routes such as Ibadan-Iseyin-Saki route, Ibadan-Oyo-Ogbomoso route and Ibadan-Ibarapa route.
He said: “Since August 5th, 2023, when Governor ‘Seyi Makinde announced SAfER, till date, the state government has spent N2,151,000,000 to subsidise transportation for the people.
“Between August 5th and December 2023, the governor invested N541 million in subsidising transport fare by 50 per cent for residents of the state. We commuted between 26,000 and 30,000 people on a daily basis in 2023.
“In 2024, the governor invested N924 million and we commuted over 9,950,000 people in 2024.
“This year, as we speak, the governor has invested N686 million and so far, from January to date, we have commuted about 5,880,000 passengers.
“The public needs to know what the governor has been doing to put all those buses back on the road and to ensure that life is easier for residents of the state.”
The PTS chairman hailed Governor Makinde for transforming and reforming the transport company, which had become moribund prior to his assumption of office in 2019, noting that the PTS has experienced growth since he was appointed as the Chairman/Sole Administrator of the Company in July 2023.
According to him, apart from recording an increase in the number of functioning vehicles and routes, paying pensions/gratuities and also restructuring of the workforce for better service delivery to the masses, the company has introduced several innovations including digital payment system and installation of Closed Circuit TV cameras and trackers in the vehicles.
He noted that the Services currently run 39 intra-city routes with 55 buses as well as five inter-city routes with 10 buses.
Dikko stated that upon his assumption of office in 2023, the PTS revived 30 buses and deployed the same within Ibadan metropolis, while it deployed another 16 buses to the intercity routes, with a total of 46 buses deployed for the SAfER Transport.
He added that he was also able to reduce revenue leakage, siphoning of diesel, and diversion of routes by drivers as well as speed control, while the Services also went digital on September 24, 2023, by introducing the card payment system.
