FG to hands off mass transit - Sambo

VICE-President Namadi Sambo, on Tuesday, revealed plans by the Federal Government to distance itself from the operation of mass transit system in the country, which he said must be wholly private sector-driven.He said government was already working out modalities to achieve this, adding that even if the government would be involved in any form, it would a minimal participation.The vice-president said this during the meeting of the Presidential Committee on Mass Transit at the State House, Abuja, lamenting that past efforts at entrenching a mass transit culture in Nigeria had been unsuccessful.According to the vice-president, 'now we want to come out with a system that is not only workable but sustainable, where the private sector will be the major drivers.'Sambo, who stressed the need for a proper framework to be established for the workability of the system and for international best practices to be observed, added that there was the need to separate policy, regulatory framework and implementation plans.He noted that it was the desire of President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that Nigerians were transported to their various destinations safely, cheaply and efficiently, through the major means of transportation.In his remarks, Anambra State governor, Dr Peter Obi, pledged the readiness of state governments to ensure that the system worked, while stressing the need to develop a regulatory framework to ensure its success.
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