The Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang has offered free transportation services to the citizens within and outside the state, as the Christmas and New Year festivities approach.

The state Commissioner for Transport, Davou Gyang disclosed this in a statement made available in Jos, the state capital, on Monday.

Gyang said the free transportation services which will commence on December 23, 2024, are meant to cushion the effect of the economic challenges being faced by the people.

He added that the free transportation would cover intra-local Government travel across the 17 LGs of the state, as well as inter-state travel.

The statement read, “Due to the current economic challenges, Governor Caleb Mutfwang through the Plateau State Ministry of Transport, has introduced a special Christmas and New Year holiday mass transit programme for Plateau residents and those in the diaspora through the following schedule:

“From Monday 23 to Tuesday 24, all Metro Bus rides within the Jos-Bukuru Metropolis are free, with extended routes other than the usual ones.

“For inter-local Government travel, passengers will assemble at Plateau State Polytechnic for departure, to be dropped off at their respective Local Government Headquarters. Please note that two 18-seater buses will make eight trips daily on a first-come, first-served basis.”

The commissioner stated that for inter-state travels, “Passengers from the North-East — Bauchi, Borno, and Adamawa would travel from the capital of their respective states to Jos. For the North West — Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Jigawa, passengers would travel from their respective states capital to Jos,” among others.

The statement advised interested travellers to “contact the leadership of Plateau State associations in their respective zones for seamless arrangements.

“Take note that the return trip for inter-local Government and inter-state travellers is scheduled for January 4-5, 2025.” (The PUNCH)