By Abubakar Yunusa
The Co-founder and CEO of Nigeria’s leading tech mobility company NAIRAXI, Kingsley Eze has said digitization of Nigeria’s public transit system is the solution to the increasing cost of petrol.
Eze made the call on Arise News Night, while speaking on fuel subsidy removal and the role of digital mobility in cushioning its effect, especially in the area of public mass transportation. He said that apart from food, Nigerians spent a bulk of their money on transportation just to move from one place to another.
According to Kingsley, NAIRAXI helps you to ensure that your physical asset is well utilized. We have technology powered bus services; an affordable and efficient mass transit systems that is currently transporting people enmasse.
Speaking on his contribution in the transport sector amidst the recent fuel subsidy removal and fuel price increase, Kingsley Eze made reference to the free mobility services which NAIRAXI is providing to Commuters within FCT. We provide free rides from central business district to three(3) major satellite towns in Abuja namely, Nyanya, Lugbe and Kubwa.
He explained that the process has helped to get Abuja residents acquainted with the NAIRAXI tap to pay technology available on the free BRT transit buses.
He further emphasized on the benefits of tech-driven mass mobility in Abuja. He stated that the initiative will decongest the road and be a solution to the mammoth issues surrounding subsidy removal. It also provides an outlet for citizens to access affordable transportation from point A to point B.
According to him, contactless payment would help in making sure that the mass transit system is well utilized, monitored, secured and trackable. He says, “with NAIRAXI, you don’t have to drive to work, your car is parked almost 90% of the time. With the use of technology, mass transit services could be scaled up, therefore making transit services efficient and accessible by all.
He made reference to advanced cities, he says, “If you go to advanced society, you can see how the society works. You can actually have a ride to your office, a ride to your workplace and rides to your homes via an affordable and comfortable public transit system.
He noted that Nigerians see public transport as a service meant for the poor, but on the contrary, if utilized properly can help solve the challenges of subsidy.
Speaking about how Government can be resourceful, Kingsley explained that fortune is made during crisis. He gave instance to the world war and the myriads of developments it birthed.
He says that public transportation is not meant to be profitable but sustainable. He emphasized on the need to take public transport serious by giving public transit agencies, state and federal government access to tools that can make public transportation sustainable.
He adviced FG on the need to declare a state of emergency on public transportation. He also drew reference from the Kano Metropolitan Transport system which is up and running with NAIRAXI.
NAIRAXI has been engaging government at several levels especially with engagements the ministry of transport and other key stakeholders in the transport system.
He says “we must adapt our transit system to face the recent market realities because subsidy removal has created a demand which is what the public transit sector has been lacking over time. With the demand, we need great supply of tech mobility operators and an efficient regulatory system by the government”.
Kingsley Eze has been on the front burner in the area of introducing proactive measures to digitise transportation, thereby making it convenient and accessible to Nigerians especially in the face of the fuel subsidy removal. He has championed this course in the last 3years to lessen the eventual challenges and hardship of the removal of subsidy from petrol.
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