By DAYO JOHNSON
Ondo State government has ordered commercial vehicle operators in the state to return to the pre-subsidy removal fare of N30.00 per drop from the current N50, following the release of 200 palliative vehicles to the state's National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW) .
The fare reversal is contained in a statement issued in Akure, the state capital, yesterday, by the State's Commissioner for Information, Mr Kayode Akinmade.
According to him, the reversal is in fulfillment of Governor Olusegun Mimiko's pledge to the people of the state to cushion the effects of the recent hike in transportation cost occasioned by the removal of subsidy on petroleum products in the country.
According to the Commissioner, the governor directed that commercial vehicle operators in the state should revert back to the pre-subsidy removal era when passengers paid N30 for a ride in the state.
"Mr Governor has said that henceforth taxi operators in the state must not charge more than N30.00 per drop as enough vehicles have been released to the transporters for this purpose", the statement said.
"Governor Mimiko praised the road transport workers for the peace they have allowed among members and the synergy they have formed with the government which he said has made the current exercise possible.
"Mr Governor commended members of the road union workers for allowing peace to reign among them and for co-existing peacefully with members of the public".
To enable the government control fare price charged by commercial vehicle operators in the state, it recently purchased 290 vehicles for public use.
200 of the palliative vehicles were handed over to the NURTW members to commence operation last Friday.
Vanguard Nigeria