Says they are under maintenance — Govt

Governor Akeredolu

Dayo Johnson – Akure

Indications emerged that the Ondo state government has suspended the operation of the free shuttle buses for public secondary school students introduced by the immediate past administration in the state.

For the second week running after resumption for the 2019/2020 second term, the students on daily basis waited endlessly for the buses at the bus stop.

After being stranded, the students resulted to trekking to their individual schools lamenting the development.

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Many who could not afford going to school through commercial vehicles or commercial motorcycle popularly known as Okada get to school late after trekking for hours.

Recall the the immediate past governor Dr Olusegun Mimiko introduced the free bus shuttle and operated it for eight years unhindered in major towns and cities across the state.

The buses conveys the students to and from designated bus stops across the towns and cities on daily basis.

Sources said that government was owing the contractor who supplies diesel to fuel the buses hence the suspension of its operation.

The contractor it was gathered decided to stop the supplies following the huge debt owed him by the state government.

A source told vanguard that “The Ministry of Transport had failed to settle debt incurred for the fueling of the buses since last year, which made the filling station owners to reject further debt.

Parents have lamented the development saying that it had caused their children untold hardship as many of them trek to their school which are far their homes while it has increase the financial burden on the parents.

Speaking with Vanguard one of the parents, Subomi Adegbenro  described the situation as unfortunate, and called on the state government to have a rethink on the suspension of the free shuttle buses.

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But the state government in a swift reaction denied suspending the free shuttle program.

The Special Adviser to the governor on transport, Mr Tobi Ogunleye said that  “the non-operation was as a result of ongoing general maintenance of the vehicles.

Ogunleye assured that “hopefully, the shuttle buses would return to roads this week.

vanguard